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SANDY — A man was arrested Wednesday night following a bizarre incident in which police say he jumped into a Corvette that obviously had a passenger still in it, drove it around, stopped and got out.
Anthony Phillips Vayne, 23, of Sandy, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of kidnapping and drug possession.
Sandy Police Sgt. Dean Carriger said a couple in a 2014 Corvette drove up to the Best Western Cotton Tree Inn, 10695 S. Auto Mall Drive, stopped the car in front about 6 p.m., and the man got out to go into the lobby.
"A moment later, a gentleman opened the door, got in the driver's seat, hit the start button and drove off with the wife still in the car," Carriger said.
A moment later, a gentleman opened the door, got in the driver's seat, hit the start button and drove off with the wife still in the car.
–Sgt. Dean Carriger, Sandy Police
Vayne would have clearly seen the woman was still in the passenger seat, he said. The woman asked him what was going on, and then threatened to shoot him if he didn't pull over, Carriger said. It was unknown Thursday whether the woman actually had a gun.
After driving a short distance, possibly just a lap around the hotel parking lot, the man pulled over, got out and started to walk away. The husband stopped the man, took a cellphone picture of him and then told him he was calling police, Carriger said. Vayne waited until police arrived.
Vayne told the responding officers it was a misunderstanding and that he was valet parking, which the officers knew was a lie.
"The hotel didn't have valet," Carriger said.
Then Vayne told the officers he worked at the car dealership next door, he said. That story was true, Carriger said. But investigators learned the man was not actually working at that time and even if he had been, he had no authority to drive a car, he said.
A motive for the alleged kidnapping was unknown Thursday.
