Wild kidnapping, assault leave man critically hurt, police say

CENTERVILLE — A wild kidnapping and aggravated assault case stretching through two counties ended early Wednesday when a man was run over by a vehicle he allegedly was trying to carjack, police said.

The violent series of events began after midnight. A 23-year-old woman said she was leaving work at Smith's, 455 S. 500 East, when a man jumped in her passenger side door as she was driving away and threatened her with a knife, according to Salt Lake City Police Lt. Rick Wall.

The incident appeared to be random, said Centerville Police Lt. Paul Child.

The man, identified as Ogden resident Paul Jaramillo, 41, told the woman to drive to Ogden. As they approached Centerville, the woman told him that she was going to run out of gas, Child said. The vehicle pulled off the freeway to a gas station.

Jaramillo went inside the Top Stop convenience store. As he did that, the woman ran off and hid, Child said.

Police said Jaramillo attempted to rob the Top Stop, claiming he had a gun. He attempted to climb over the counter, but the clerk pushed him back. Jaramillo reacted by striking an unsuspecting customer who had just walked in twice in the head, knocking him to the floor and demanding his keys, Child said.

Instead, the customer got up and pushed Jaramillo outside the store, he said.

Jaramillo ran to a Wendy's restaurant next door and forced his way inside, setting off an alarm. Two employees locked themselves in a back room while two more called police, Child said.

Jaramillo chased two employees into the parking lot. He then noticed the customer who had been struck inside the store was driving away in a sport utility vehicle, Child said. Jaramillo ran up to the SUV and began pounding on the hood, demanding the man surrender his vehicle, Child said.

"Sometime during this encounter, while the victim was attempting to drive away, the suspect fell down and was run over by the SUV," Child said in a prepared statement.

When officers arrived, they found Jaramillo lying under a Chevy Tahoe, unconscious and unresponsive.

He was taken by medical helicopter to a local hospital in critical condition, where he remains under guard.

Investigators later determined Jaramillo did not have a gun but rather was holding the Smith's employee's cell phone like a gun. A knife was recovered, Child said.

According to court records, Jaramillo has a long history of arrests for a variety of crimes, including theft, burglary, aggravated assault, robbery, disorderly conduct and drug- and alcohol-related offenses.

Contributing: Josh Smith

e-mail: preavy@desnews.com