Man is arrested in W.V. carjacking

WEST VALLEY CITY — A man accused of carjacking a woman who had just dropped her child off at day care Tuesday has been arrested.

David Jose Lopez, 32, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated kidnapping, robbery and theft.

Just after 7 a.m. Tuesday, a woman dropped off her child at a day care near 4700 S. Bangerter Highway. When she returned to her car, a man hiding in the back seat grabbed her around her throat and told her, "This is a robbery. Don't make it a homicide," according to a jail report.

The woman drove about half of a block, but then "fearing for her life, purposely drove into another vehicle" coming out of a grocery store parking lot, court records state. The woman was not injured.

The man in the back seat got out and ran. A short time later, detectives believe, he stole another vehicle that had been left warming up at a nearby apartment complex, according to jail records. About 45 minutes later, that vehicle was found at a second apartment complex.

While conducting surveillance on the apartments, officers saw a man matching the suspect's description walking in the area, said West Valley Police Capt. Tom McLachlan. That man had outstanding warrants and was taken into custody.

— Pat Reavy