A man tried to carjack a woman who came to his rescue after he got into a crash, then stole a car from someone pumping gas at a Wallingford Sunoco station and dragged the person as he fled, police said.
Other people who witnessed what happened were able to detain the man until police arrived to arrest him.
Several officers responded to the Sunoco gas station at 870 South Colony Road just before 8 a.m. after receiving reports that a man was assaulting the woman and the details began to emerge from there.
As they investigating, police determined that 32-year-old Juan Leporte, of Springfield, Massachusetts, had been involved in a crash on Interstate 91South in Wallingford and a woman who saw the crash stopped to help him.
Leporte got into the woman’s Dodge Avenger and she drove to the Sunoco station, intending to call police once they got there, but Leporte tried to take the woman’s keys and tackled her to the ground, police said.
A man saw what was happening and managed to get the woman away from Leporte.
Then Leporte hopped into the Jeep Commander belonging to a man who was pumping gas and drove away, with the owner of the car hanging onto the steering wheel, police said.
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Another person saw what was happening jumped into the passenger seat and tried to take the key out of the ignition, but he fell out of the vehicle, according to police.
Leporte was able to drive onto South Colony Road, as the car owner continued to hang on to the vehicle, but returned to the Sunoco parking lot, where he collided with a metal pole and stopped, police said.
When Leporte got of the car and tried to run, other men at the scene detained him until police arrived, police said.
Several people sustained minor injuries, but none needed medical attention. Police officers also sustained minor injuries while trying to take Leporte into custody.
Leporte was arrested on several charges, including carjacking and third-degree assault. He has been released from the hospital and is due in court tomorrow.
Bond was set at $100,000.
State police are investigating the crash on Interstate 91.
