July 5, 2000

A Salt Lake County jail inmate is back in custody after being on the run for much of the day.

When the inmate escaped from sheriff's deputies, he allegedly commandeered a car with a woman in the back seat! Keith McCord has been following the story.

It started when the inmate was taken to a doctor's office on 7th East and South Temple.

Robert Richard Berger, 33-years-old, has a past history of burglary and aggravated assault.

An officer took him to the doctor to get x-rays. But he bolted out the back door of the doctor's office, ran down to 1st South, and jumped in a running car in the parking lot of a lawyer's office.

Lt. Cory Lyman/SLCPD: "WE GOT A REPORT OF A MALE WEARING YELLOW INMATE CLOTHES , WHO STRIPPED OFF HIS SHIRT AND JUMPED IINTO A RUNNING, OCCUPIED VEHICAL. A 49-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM THE PROVO AREA WAS IN THE BACK OF THE CAR."

Vicki Reinken was waiting in the car, because her son and fiance were inside the lawyer's office.

A witness saw what happened and called police. About 2:30 this afternoon, officers spotted the car and chased Berger down in Sugarhouse park.

Vicki Reinken, who was in the car the whole time, was reunited with her son and is okay.