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LINDON — Two teenagers wanted in connection with a string of crimes in the Lindon area are now facing multiple charges, including attempted murder, accusing them of using their car to intentionally hit an elderly man who was out for a morning run.
According to court documents obtained by KSL.com from 4th District Juvenile Court, two boys, ages 15 and 14, were charged in late September with attempted murder, a first-degree felony; theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle and discharge of a firearm, second-degree felonies; identity fraud, a third-degree felony; and vehicle burglary, a class A misdemeanor.
A 75-year-old man was out for his morning run on Sept. 13 when a car drove by him at a high rate of speed. The man threw his arms up in the air as the car drove by, which prompted the driver to make a U-turn and swerve at the man as the car drove past him again, according to police.
"The victim said the car turned around again and he picked up a rock and threw it at the car as it swerved toward him again. The car then turned back around and the victim ran into a nearby driveway to try and get away from the car. The car then drove into the driveway where the victim was standing and hit him. The car backed up as the victim tried to get away and then it hit him with the vehicle again and pinned him up against a fence next to the driveway," Lindon police wrote in a search warrant affidavit.
The injured man was able to walk home and then drove himself to the hospital. He "sustained injuries to his head that required several staples to close the wound he also suffered bruises and abrasions all over his body," the affidavit states.
As detectives investigated the incident, they found a car part with a "Honda" insignia on the ground in the area where the victim was hit. Police then learned of a Honda that had been stolen overnight. Near the apartment complex where the Honda was stolen, police said they found a Chevy Tahoe that had also been stolen and was abandoned,.
Detectives obtained surveillance footage of two boys driving the stolen Honda CRV and also breaking into multiple vehicles at the apartment complex.
On Sept. 16, Lindon police issued a press release that included pictures from the surveillance video, asking for the public's help in identifying the two teenagers. That same day, a homeowner near where the elderly man was hit, called police after discovering a bullet hole in the side of his house, according to the affidavit.
"The victim called and reported to Lindon police that someone shot through the exterior wall of his home and that the round travelled to the bathroom. The bullet then struck his tub and then went through the his kitchen wall next to his dining table," the warrant says.
A day after the photos were released to the public, police received a call from a person who identified the 14-year-old. That boy was taken into custody at his home in Pleasant Grove on Sept. 18.
When interviewed by police, the boy admitted that he and his friend had stolen the Honda and "broke into about a hundred vehicles that night," the affidavit states. As they were driving, they came across the 75-year-old man, and the 15-year-old boy who was driving yelled at him to get out of the road. When the man threw a rock at the car, it upset the 15-year-old even more, and he "then turned around … and hit the guy two or three times with the car."
The boy also disclosed other incidents to police, including stealing a Volkswagen GTI on Sept. 16, stealing a gun inside the vehicle and firing it in a church parking lot in Orem, according to the affidavit.
Police located the 15-year-old boy in Orem and arrested him following a short foot chase.
In 2021, the 15-year-old boy — who was 14 at the time — was charged with aggravated assault with a weapon, a third-degree felony, according to records from 4th District Juvenile Court. In May, he was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony; and unlawful possession of a bank card, a third-degree felony.
