16-year-old boy charged in West Valley carjacking

WEST VALLEY CITY — A 16-year-old boy is facing numerous charges after police say he recently carjacked a woman at gunpoint, then wrecked the stolen vehicle while trying to get away from officers.

The boy, whom KSL.com is not naming at this time, was charged in 3rd District Juvenile Court with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; two counts of failing to stop for police, a third-degree felony and class A misdemeanor; three counts of leaving the scene of an accident, possession of a handgun by a minor, possession of burglary tools, reckless driving, class B misdemeanors; and being an unlicensed driver, an infraction.

On July 29, a woman had just pulled into her driveway near 6200 West and 4200 South when "a male wearing dark clothing and a face mask" walked up and opened her driver's side door, "pointed a handgun at her and ordered her to exit the vehicle," according to charging documents.

As the teen sped away in the Ford Ranger, he hit two other vehicles, the charges state. No injuries were reported.

Using a tracking device on the vehicle, West Valley police located it in the parking lot at Hunter High School. When the teenager saw police approaching, he got in the Ford and attempted to flee, the charges state. "(He) swerved to avoid a car but collided with a second vehicle and flipped upside down."

The boy climbed out of the vehicle through the driver's side window and ran into the backyard of a nearby residence. He then jumped a fence and tried to hide in another yard, the charges state. Police found him hiding in a chicken coop.

The charges come just two months after the same boy was charged with aggravated robbery, obstruction of justice and interfering with an arrest in a separate juvenile court case. In that incident, the boy is accused of stealing AirPods from a 15-year-old boy at knifepoint.

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