Man charged in Porsche theft, high-speed chase

A West Valley City man accused of leading police on a high-speed chase after stealing a Porsche at gunpoint was charged with aggravated robbery and other crimes Wednesday.

The Porsche owner was pulling into work near 4600 South and Highland Drive on Oct. 5 when the 28-year-old pulled in behind him and confronted him with a gun, according to police and charges filed in 3rd District Court.

The man threatened to "blow his brains out," so the owner gave up the car, along with his phone and wallet, charges state. The carjacker and an accomplice drove away, but someone called in a tip about three hours later and police headed for 200 West and Paxton Avenue (1180 South).

The suspects, though, saw them coming and headed for Interstate 15, reaching speeds of more than 100 mph, police said. Police called off the chase but found the car abandoned less an hour later. Officers surrounded the area and flushed out the two suspects, two men ages 28 and 24.

The older man was charged Wednesday with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; two counts of failure to stop, one a class A misdemeanor and the other a third-degree felony; possession of a gun by a restricted person, a third-degree felony; and false information to a police officer, a class A misdemeanor.

lwhitehurst@sltrib.com

Twitter: @lwhitehurst