WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — West Valley City Police are looking for any sign of a thief that dragged a man in his own truck as he was trying to stop the suspect from stealing it early Monday morning.
Police said the victim left his home in the 2700 block of South Hampton Drive at around 6:30 a.m. and noticed the suspect sitting in his 1999 Ford Ranger.
When the man went to stop the suspect from driving away, the suspect immediately accelerated and struck the owner before fleeing the scene.
The victim is currently hospitalized and suffering broken bones, cuts and scrapes during the incident.
Police are now looking for the white pickup truck with Utah license plate 9C4EP.
“We're trying to turn over every stone, we're looking for video. In this case, we're looking for anyone who saw something or heard something.” said Roxanne Vainuku with the West Valley City Police Department.
It's also another reminder that as temperatures cool down, thieves are on the lookout for any opportunity to steal vehicles.
The victim said the suspect was a male in his 30's and was wearing a blue coat. Welding equipment was in the back of the truck at the time of the theft, and could still be in the vehicle to help the public locate it.
While police said they understand occurred during the theft, they add that jumping in front of a car isn’t the best option.
“Adrenaline's running high, and that may tempt you to try to stop a thief from taking what belongs to you. But in the long run, it's just not worth it.” Vainuku said.
Instead, the best course of action is to take down as much information about the suspect as possible and call police right away
Drivers should also remain aware and not leave their vehicles unattended.
“We get it. I mean, it's your vehicle. You should be able to do what you want with it. You shouldn't have to worry about someone coming and taking what belongs to you,” said Vainuku. “But unfortunately, in the world that we live in, criminals aren't always worried about what belongs to you and they're more than willing to come and take something if they have the opportunity to do it.”
Officials add that drivers should make it more difficult for potential car thieves by locking the doors and making sure vehicles are secured.
Anyone with information on the truck stolen Monday morning is asked to call the West Valley City Police Department.
