Attempted carjacking foiled by police and K-9 officer

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — West Valley City police took two people into custody following a brief chase and attempted carjacking.

Lt. Robert Brinton with the West Valley City Police Department said an officer noticed a suspicious car near a hotel parking lot at 3500 South Redwood Rd. around 3 a.m. Friday with a temporary tag that didn’t match the vehicle.

The officer began to follow the car but the suspect started to drive “erratically” and the officer did not pursue a chase, according to Brinton.

Police kept an eye on the vehicle at a distance and through Utah Department of Transportation cameras. The suspects drove east on state Route 201 before taking northbound I-215 to California Ave., where the vehicle exited and entered a nearby gas station parking lot.

Brinton said the car began to experience mechanic issues at some point while the suspects fled from police.

While at the gas station, the two suspects exited the car and attempted to carjack a vehicle parked there, but it was locked. They approached another car occupied by a bystander and attempted to carjack them.

At that point, police intervened and detained both suspects.

Briton said during the detainment, a K-9 officer bit the male suspect in the leg. The injury was reported as minor and the bystander was uninjured in the incident.

Police believe the suspects were driving a recently stolen car.

The two suspects, a male and a female, will be charged by police and the male was booked into jail.