Police: Murray man pins wife with car, tells police he would return to ‘finish the job’
Sep 10, 2023, 5:17 PM
File - Murray police cars. (Jeffery D. Allred/Deseret News)
(Jeffery D. Allred/Deseret News)
MURRAY, Utah — A man allegedly ran over two women with his car after an argument, telling police, “next time this happens, you ain’t gonna find me.”
Erwin Jay Riggs, 37, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on felony charges of aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury and failing to remain at an accident involving serious bodily injury and misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief resulting in the loss of $500 or less, violence offense committed in the presence of a child, and intoxication, according to the police affidavit.
On Saturday afternoon, Murray police responded to reports of a woman being run over by a car. When officers arrived, they found the first victim lying in the street with severe head injuries.
According to the affidavit, the woman was transported to a local hospital, where she went for immediate surgery due to her life-threatening injuries.
The second victim, Riggs’s wife, told police that her husband came home intoxicated, and the two began a verbal argument over Rigg’s use of prescription pills.
According to the affidavit, Riggs allegedly left their apartment and began damaging his wife’s vehicle by letting air out of the tires and punching the back tail light, causing it to brake.
The wife told police that Riggs returned to their home and grabbed a kitchen knife and her keys to prevent her from leaving. The suspect got into his vehicle and attempted to flee.
According to the affidavit, the wife and her teenage son chased after Riggs to get her keys back.
“(The wife) said before closing the door to the car, (Riggs) put the car in reverse and moved the vehicle out of the parking spot,” the affidavit stated. “(She) said that the open door pinned her chest to another vehicle parked immediately next to (Riggs’s) vehicle.”
Police report that the wife was hurt by a sharp door being driven into her against another vehicle. She also had ripped pants with bleeding knees, and bruising across her torso where the car door pinned her.
According to the affidavit, the wife screamed and Riggs pulled the car back to unpin her. The screaming caused the first victim to approach the scene and help the wife, by placing herself between the other vehicle and the wife.
The wife said the woman stuck her hand inside Riggs’s car door frame, and he closed the door on her hand, trapping her hand in the vehicle.
(The wife) reported, that (Riggs) backed the vehicle out of the parking spot, which pushed (the woman) to the ground, and (she) was dragged by the vehicle,” the affidavit stated. “(Riggs) then put the car into drive and dragged (the woman) approximately 10-15 yards with the vehicle before her hand was freed from the door.”
Witnesses say the woman rolled in the parking lot, causing one of Riggs’s tires to roll over her head. The suspect then fled the scene in his car.
According to the affidavit, police found Riggs thanks to a “dealership applied tracker.” He was found smelling of alcohol and was acting belligerent.
While in police custody, he told detectives that he would return and “finish the job,” the affidavit stated. He also said, “next time this happens, you ain’t gonna find me,” and threatened police officers.
