DRAPER — A 19-year-old man who police say purposely ran over an 11-year-old girl told witnesses and police he used drugs and was suicidal prior to the crash, according to newly unsealed search warrants.
Steven Becky, of Draper, was charged June 6 in 4th District Court with attempted aggravated murder, a first-degree felony; operating a vehicle negligently causing serious injury, a second-degree felony; drug distribution, a third-degree felony; drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, both class B misdemeanors.
On May 31, police say Becky purposely drove his car into an 11-year-old girl who was walking her scooter up a hill near 15051 S. Winged Bluff Lane in Draper. Home surveillance video recorded Becky making a „sharp right turn” with his car, as if he were targeting the girl, according to charging documents.
The girl was treated at a local hospital for „a traumatic brain injury, subarachnoid hemmorage, pelvic fractures and multiple abrasions,” the charges state.
When interviewed by police, investigators noted he was „acting emotionally erratic” and claimed that „he didn’t see the child but indicated that he didn’t like the child because she’s white” and that he hit her „because of her race,” according to the charges.
„The officer again asked Becky why he hurt the child and he indicated that he wanted to help her escape and that he didn’t want her to grow up sad and depressed and that 'we all have to die,'” investigators wrote in the court documents.
Becky told investigators he had used methamphetamine, psychedelic mushrooms and acid, charges state.
According to three new search warrant affidavits, an utterance was also made at the crash scene about Xanax (alprazolam), and marijuana being used. Inside Becky’s wrecked car, police found numerous THC vaping items, marijuana, rolling papers, two black plastic test tubes with an unknown green liquid substance and brass knuckles.
A second warrant collected five vials of blood and one vial of urine of Becky to be tested. As of Friday, the results of those tests were still pending.
A third warrant collected data from Becky’s cellphone so West Jordan police could create „a timeline of phone events showing location, content, date and time, taken from before and after the crash,” to determine if use of the phone was a factor in the crash or if any contributing evidence could be found.
Becky’s next court hearing is scheduled for July 9.