After colliding with a patrol car on Sunday morning, a man who is accused of kidnapping a 12-year-old child and escaping from authorities is in prison.
At around 12:21 a.m., the girl reportedly left her house and got into the car of a twentysomething man she had met on social media, according to Lt. Andrew Smith of the Bountiful Police Department.
According to Smith, some of the girl’s relatives went outside after noticing she had been absent for some time and discovered an unfamiliar car in their driveway.
“They knocked on the window and inquired if their daughter was inside the car, at which point a Hispanic male jumped into the driver’s seat of the car, and the CA fled the area,” Smith stated.
After the car returned to their house, Smith claimed the family called the police at around nine in the morning. The male had reportedly driven off with the girl in a 2011 white Chevrolet Camaro when police arrived. The license plate on the car was hidden. Nonetheless, the car’s black hood and social media badge made it easily recognizable.
Fast-paced chase
Authorities said that the car was being pursued at high speed. Until the suspect’s vehicle lost control and collided with the rear of a Woods Cross police vehicle on the Legacy Highway flyover, Smith said, the pursuit continued onto southbound Interstate 15 and then onto Interstate 215.
#Utah #AMBERAlert has been canceled Utah Department Of Public Safety: T559FD (UT), white Chevrolet Camaro Ss. Suspect #1 is Juan Martinez Brito who is 5’10” 180 lbs black hair black eyes. Check local media or see https://t.co/9Ygk40dLMR @AMBERAlert
— Utah Public Safety (@UtahDPS) November 17, 2024
After that, the subject was safely placed into police custody. A Glock 17 handgun was also discovered in the vehicle by the police.
According to Smith, the Woods Cross cop was taken to the hospital with very minor wounds. The suspect’s vehicle collided with the spike strips as the police prepared to install them.
Police say the 12-year-old girl was not hurt in the accident and was transferred to a nearby hospital for assessment. Investigators are investigating what transpired during the girl’s nine-hour disappearance.
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“You don’t know if you’re going to see your child again. Your child has just been taken by somebody you don’t know, and they’re gone for a period of time you can only imagine what those parents are going through and imagining what their daughter is going through,” Smith stated.
Before disclosing further details, BPD is attempting to positively identify the suspect. This was a non-family abduction, according to police.
Anyone with information is urged by the department to contact the police at (801) 298-6000 or 911.
