WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah -- West Valley City police said two suspects have been arrested and a third suspect is still on the run after a man was found dead in a street Tuesday evening.
Police have identified the victim as 49-year-old Eric Carter.
Jeanette Miner, 26, and Jesse Searle, 34, were arrested on suspicion of murder, robbery and obstruction of justice, while police are still trying to track down 41-year old Jay Urry.
According to West Valley City Police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku, dispatchers received a call from Carter saying three people were in the process of stealing his friend's trailer around 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Searle and Urry reportedly first came to the home, in the area of 4500 South 4800 West, earlier in the day and took the trailer.
Charging documents state they showed up later to steal items from in front of the house, this time with Miner in tow.
Neighbors told Fox 13 Carter had just shown up at the house he formerly rented, and tried to intervene when he witnessed the theft. His car still sits parked askew in the street.
"He'll go—Hell or high water—too make sure he gets that stuff back," said Haley Thompson, who said she knew Carter for 16 years.
Carter wouldn't let the three get away, and called police.
"He had jumped into the back of the pickup truck," Vainuku said. Court documents show the truck took off, with Carter in the back.
Police say his call to 911 was lost during the ordeal.
Court documents state Miner drove the truck to a nearby church parking lot, where a verbal fight broke out.
Eventually the truck, with Carter still on the back, ended up near 5050 West Royal Ann Drive, court documents show.
That's when charging documents say Searle got into a physical fight with Carter.
"During this confrontation, the victim was actually run over by the trailer and killed," Vainuku said.
Police said they found the suspect’s vehicle, a Dodge pickup truck, and the “Wells Cargo” trailer that had been reported stolen in two separate locations.
News of Carter's death is still sinking in for Thompson.
"He's been like a dad to me for as long as I can remember," she said. "He's always been there for me."
She's left to mourn, and wish his life didn't end like this.
"Let cops do their job and [don't] chase people," she said, crying. "A lot of people love you and care about you. You don't need to put your life at risk. This shouldn't have happened."
Anyone with information on Urry's whereabout or other information that may aid police in their investigation is urged to call West Valley City police at 801-840-4000.
