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PLEASANT GROVE — A parolee with a violent criminal history is facing new criminal charges accusing him of assaulting and carjacking two different women.
Lopeti Hinckley Sola, 26, of Salt Lake City, was charged Monday in 4th District Court with two counts of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; theft, a second-degree felony; attempted theft and unlawful possession of a bank card, third-degree felonies; assault and theft, class B misdemeanors.
On June 3, police say Sola approached a vehicle in the Pleasant Grove parking lot at the Utah Fertility Center, 1446 S. Pleasant Grove Blvd., and attempted to pull a woman out of the driver's seat. Sola hit the woman "in the face with a closed fist, knocking her to the ground, unconscious," according to charging documents.
He took the woman's car keys, credit card and cash and then ran off when two nurses from the clinic went to help the victim, the charges state.
Shortly after, Sola approached a second car stopped in the road and knocked on the window. When the woman rolled the window down, Sola opened her door, unbuckled her seat belt, grabbed the woman by her arm and pulled her out of the car, the charges state. Police say he then got into the woman's vehicle and drove off.
Later that evening, West Valley police spotted the stolen vehicle parked at an apartment complex in their city. As officers attempted to arrest Sola, he resisted and "began punching" one of the officers, "missing his face and striking his chest and vest," according to a jail booking affidavit.
After Sola was taken to the Salt Lake County Jail and placed in a holding cell, he kicked another inmate who was sleeping on the floor, several times in the face and head while wearing boots, according to charging documents. The victim was taken to a local hospital with multiple injuries.
Sola was charged on July 6 in 3rd District Court with aggravated assault by a prisoner, a first-degree felony.
In 2015, Sola was convicted of aggravated burglary and aggravated assault in Millard County after being part of a group that broke into a house and assaulted a man who had previously contacted police about an attempted murder investigation, according to court records.
On July 20, 2021, he was convicted of drug possession with intent to distribute, and being a restricted person in possession of a dangerous weapon.
Sola has been paroled and had his parole revoked a couple of times in recent years, according to the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole website. He was most recently granted parole from the Utah State Prison in February. The board issued a warrant for his arrest on June 6 following his alleged crimes on June 3.
