Tahoe man arrested on suspicion of carjacking, stabbing employee during test drive

A South Lake Tahoe man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and carjacking Monday after a car dealership employee was stabbed during a test drive.

Jonathan Paget, 45, was taken into custody after allegedly driving off in a Dodge Durango taken from a dealership and leading law enforcement on a pursuit, according to a news release issued by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.

Around 11 a.m., a deputy was called out to Tahoe Mountain Road on reports of a stabbing and a carjacking to find a 29-year-old man who worked for a nearby dealership saying he had been stabbed during a test drive but had escaped the vehicle, according to the release.

The employee gave deputies a description of the carjacker, the Durango and where it was headed and was taken to Barton Memorial Hospital. He is expected to survive, according to the release.

Another deputy traveling south on Highway 89 spotted a Durango that matched the description and began a pursuit after it failed to stop, according to the release.

The Durango crashed into a snow bank on the side on the road and Paget ran from the SUV but was apprehended, according to the release.

Paget is currently being held at the El Dorado County jail.