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SALT LAKE CITY — A man already facing felony charges in two cases — who also had a warrant out for his arrest — was arrested by Salt Lake City police Friday after allegedly crashing a stolen car and then attempting to carjack another person.
Brett Sencion, 23, of Salt Lake, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of robbery, being in a stolen vehicle, drug possession, failing to stop for law enforcement, facing to remain at the scene of an accident, and several other misdemeanor crimes.
Just after 7 a.m., Salt Lake police were notified of a possible impaired driver near 800 South and 1000 West. A witness called 911 to report the man had driven at a high rate of speed into oncoming traffic, according to a prepared statement from the police department.
"As officers were coming into the area to look for the suspect's vehicle, the driver, at a high rate of speed, crashed into a parked car near the intersection of Indiana Avenue and Montgomery Street," police stated.
Sencion then got out of the crashed car and began walking away. As officers arrived in the area of 1000 W. Redwood Road, witnesses who had been following Sencion pointed out where he was, according to a police booking affidavit. An officer drove up next to Sencion in his patrol car and told him to stop. Instead, Sencion ran off.
Sencion ran to a nearby car wash and attempted to get into another vehicle, according to police. The car was running at the time, the affidavit states.
An officer deployed his Taser, but it did not work because of the jacket Sencion was wearing, according to police. Sencion then "ran toward the running vehicle and pushed the owner of the running vehicle to attempt to get inside. (The) victim was able to shut the door and (the) officer was able to tackle (Sencion)," according to the affidavit.
Sencion continued to resist the officer as he attempted to handcuff him, according to the affidavit. Once he was in custody, the officer found the key to the stolen vehicle Sencion had crashed and drugs in his pockets, the affidavit states. In the backpack he was carrying, police found "various keys to various vehicles."
Inside the stolen vehicle, police found cellphones, a passport and a birth certificate all believed to be stolen, police stated.
When questioned by police, Sencion denied his involvement in the stolen car and stated he ran from police because he does not trust them, according to the affidavit.
"(Sencion) was asked about his attempt to get into the running vehicle. He stated he was not going to steal it, only get inside of it to get away from officers," the affidavit states.
On Dec. 8, Sencion was charged in 3rd District Court with theft by receiving stolen property, possession of a gun by a restricted person and failing to stop for police. In that case, Sencion was spotted in a stolen vehicle, ran from police and then resisted arrested when an officer caught up to him, according to charging documents. A warrant was issued for his arrest in that case.
On Dec. 2, Sencion was charged with theft by receiving stolen property and DUI in 3rd District Court and he crashed a stolen car at 9000 S. Bangerter Highway while having both meth and marijuana in his system, according to charging documents.
