- Carlos Daniel Castellanos, 23, was charged with aggravated robbery in a carjacking with a baby on board.
- The incident occurred Aug. 7 at Gateway parking; a woman was injured trying to get her baby back.
- Castellanos used a stolen credit card and has a lengthy criminal history, police say.
SALT LAKE CITY — Charges were filed Monday against a Salt Lake man accused of carjacking a vehicle with a baby still in the back seat.
Carlos Daniel Castellanos, 23, is charged in 3rd District Court with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; causing property damage and obstruction of justice, second-degree felonies; taking a bank card, a third-degree felony; drug possession, a class A misdemeanor; and unlawful use of a bank card, a class B misdemeanor.
On Aug. 7, a woman was standing outside her parked car in the underground parking structure at the Gateway, 62 S. Rio Grande, when Castellanos "observed a running car and jumped in the driver's seat, intending to steal it. What he didn't intend was for there to be an infant in the back seat," according to charging documents.
The woman ran after her car and 8-month-old child and fell to the ground while trying to open the door.
"(She) said the vehicle stopped at the top of the parking garage, and she was able to take her child out of the back seat. Castellanos then left in her car," the charges state.
Police say the woman suffered "injuries to her lip, left elbow, her knees and rib cage," and Castellanos caused over $6,000 worth of damage to the car by hitting a wall while fleeing from the the parking garage.
The next day, the woman reported to police that one of her credit cards, which was in her stolen vehicle, had been used about 2:20 a.m. at a convenience store near 300 East and 400 South. Surveillance video from the store showed the same man who took her vehicle also using her cards, police said.
On Aug. 8, police located Castellanos at Taufer Park, 680 S. 300 East, and arrested him. He was in possession of meth at the time of his arrest, the charges say.
After being taken into custody, Castellanos told detectives that he "hopped into a car" and "just decided to pull away," according to the charges.
"Castellanos said he tried to pull away when he observed a baby in the car seat. Castellanos said he slammed on the brakes and heard (the woman) say, 'Please just lemme get my baby.' Castellanos told (her) to get her child and he 'took off' with the car," the charges allege.
Prosecutors noted that Castellanos has a lengthy criminal history.
"The defendant has been given ample opportunity to be a successful member of society; however, he has shown by his own actions that he has no regard for this court or this court's orders and continues to commit crimes against property and persons," the charges state.
