Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
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Sandra Yi ReportingCapt. Tracy Tingey: "The basic tenet living in Utah is, 'help your neighbor', and they're preying on those kind of people."
That's why South Salt Lake is telling citizens, don't stop to help. A good Samaritan stopped to help two strangers this weekend and ended up being the victim of a vicious crime. The suspects beat and robbed the victim at gunpoint. It happened yesterday afternoon, in South Salt Lake.
The suspects are still out there and might do the same thing to another good Samaritan. Police believe the two men planned out their crime when they waved down a motorist on 900 West.
Police just released a composite sketch of one of the suspects.
900 West is a busy street, but traffic slows down on Sunday.
Capt. Tracy Tingey: "So it was a perfect location to pull something like that off."
Yesterday at noon, a man driving north on 900 West stopped near 2600 South to help two strangers.
Capt. Tracy Tingey, So. Salt Lake Police Dept.: "They were waving him down, two Hispanic males waving him down, saying that they needed help."
When the driver pulled over the two men jumped in the car.
Capt. Tracy Tingey: "The first suspect that jumped in the front seat pulled a black handgun and stuck it in his ear and demanded money."
Police say one man, seen in the composite sketch, punched the driver. Meanwhile, his accomplice was in the back seat, rifling through the victim's things. He took two cell phones, an electronic razor and some cash.
Capt. Tracy Tingey: "They then jumped out of the vehicle yelling that if he called police, they would kill him. They began to kick in the side of the car and the victim fled."
The victim was able to get help, but the suspects were long gone.
Tracy Tingey: "We suspect this is not the first time they have pulled this off."
Police say we can all learn something from what happened.
Capt. Tracy Tingey: "In Utah, we have this habit of stopping and helping people, and that's all well and good, but people need to protect themselves when they do those things."
A crash scene is generally safe to stop and help, but police have these tips for less obvious situations:
- call police and let them check out the problem
- keep your doors locked and windows up when you approach someone in your car
- don't let your car be blocked in and allow yourself an escape route
- keep your car in gear
- and never let strangers in your car. Tracy Tingey: "Just be careful and evaluate the circumstance before you pull up and stop to help somebody."
Police are still looking for the suspects. One is 30 years old and has a mustache. He was wearing a tan shirt and blue jeans. The other is 25 years old. He has a goatee. A heavy-set woman with blonde hair was also seen in the suspect's car. The suspects were in a newer model, white Hyundai and a small older model black pickup truck.
If you have any information, call South Salt Lake City Police.
