Bystander Hit By Car After Attempting To Stop Alleged Phone Theft

MURRAY, Utah – A bystander was hit by a car after he tried to help stop an alleged iPhone theft, according to officials with the Murray Police Department.

Taylor Rubalcava said he and his father arranged to meet the prospective buyers of the iPhone at a parking lot near the intersection of 900 East and 5900 South around 7 p.m. Friday.

“My dad and I were coming to sell an iPhone after someone messaged us on KSL (Classifieds),” Rubalcava said.

He said the suspect asked to handle the phone to make sure it was working properly before taking off with the device.

“He grabs it and goes ‘thanks’ and then he starts just booking it,” Rubalcava said.

Meanwhile, Rubalcava said the suspect’s accomplice started driving off.

“His buddy just starts going and he almost just leaves him. He almost runs him over,” he said.

Rubalcava said he and his father hurried out of their car and got a picture of the vehicle’s license plate before a bystander who had witnessed the situation jumped in to help.

Police said the bystander was hit by the fleeing vehicle but he only suffered minor injuries.

“He was saying he was alright. He was like, ‘I’m an ex-marine so that was just kind of my knee jerk response,’” Rubalcava said.

Rubalcava said it’s a miracle the bystander managed to walk away from the incident.

“He was trying to do the right thing,” he said.

Officials said they are investigating the suspects’ possible involvement in another incident reported earlier Friday in West Valley City.

“We believe the vehicle was involved in a robbery,” said Sergeant Alisha Richmond with the Murray Police Department.

While Rubalcava and his father did the right thing in meeting the strangers in a public place, he said they missed a red flag.

“The biggest red flag to us was that his buddy was in the car in the driver’s seat and the car was backed into the stall, easy to just kind of drive off,” Rubalcava said.