Bizarre Utah Mail Truck Carjacking: Man High on Bath Salts Leads Police on Chase

The Carjacking Incident

• 💡 A man identified as Wilbur Hernandez, allegedly high on bath salts, carjacked a U.S. Postal Service mail truck in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• 🎯 Hernandez was reportedly being chased by a group of people over a "jar of diamonds" when he stole the truck.
• 🔑 The mail carrier was placing mail in a community box when he saw Hernandez running and then jump into the mail truck, demanding he get out.
• ⚠️ Hernandez allegedly pointed a knife at the mail carrier and other witnesses while trying to start the vehicle, which had keys left inside.

The Police Chase and Standoff

• 🚀 The stolen mail truck was driven recklessly through multiple jurisdictions, hitting other cars.
• 📍 Authorities eventually tracked Hernandez down in Bountiful, where he crashed the truck into a police cruiser and then fled into a construction lot.
• 💥 A tense standoff ensued, with officers using tasers, beanbag rounds, and pepper spray to subdue Hernandez, who had retreated into the truck.
• ⚔️ Hernandez allegedly bit an officer during the struggle and wore two coats taken from the mail truck as makeshift body armor.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

• ⚖️ Hernandez, who was in the country illegally, initially provided false names to authorities.
• 🔍 An FBI liaison used a mobile fingerprint scanner to identify him, and an FBI agent provided translation services during his interrogation.
• 🗣️ Hernandez claimed he was defending himself from attackers and found a jar of diamonds, but later admitted to having a knife.
• 📜 He faced federal charges of carjacking and mail theft, but the mail theft count was dropped as part of a plea deal.
• 📉 Hernandez was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for carjacking, a sentence significantly less than suggested by sentencing guidelines, due to the unusual circumstances of the case.
• ✈️ Following his prison sentence, Hernandez is to be deported to Mexico.