Vernal police arrested a man and charged him with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a teenage boy inside his apartment.
The suspect was identified as 34-year-old Jose Gutierrez Torres, who was charged with two counts of forcible sodomy, aggravated kidnapping, obstruction of justice, and providing false information to a peace officer.
Man Arrested for Kidnapping and Sexually Assaulting Teen Boy
The latest development comes after a woman at Silver Pines Apartments on Wednesday flagged down several officers with the Vernal Police Department. She told the law enforcement personnel that her 15-year-old son was missing.
The mother said her son texted her, saying he was scared and did now know where exactly he was at during that time, adding that there was a man with him who wouldn't let him leave. She was at the apartments trying to find the victim via GPS on his mobile device.
The police officers then investigated the case and came into contact with a man who was later identified as Torres. When they questioned him, he denied seeing the teenage boy in the area, prompting police to continue their search, according to KUTV.
An affidavit revealed that the teenager was later able to flee from the man's apartment and later told authorities that there was "unwanted sexual activity" that happened between him and Torres. It adds that the suspect's roommate showed up and convinced him to go outside, where he was detained by officers.
Read more: 10-Year-Old Girl's Parents File Lawsuit Against Taylorville School District Over Assault Allegations
After the ordeal, the teenager was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated by medical professionals. An investigator was able to speak with the victim, where he learned that the victim decided to take a walk after taking a shower and playing on his phone.
The teenager said that Torres suddenly "grabbed him by the elbow and took him" to his apartment complex while he was walking outside his own apartment. When officers questioned the suspect, he claimed that he met the victim on a dating app and picked him up without his parents' consent, KSL reported.
Teenage Girl Locked in Storage Closet
There was a similar incident where police found a 15-year-old girl locked inside a storage closet at an apartment complex on Delmar Street. The teenager was reportedly the victim of sexual assault by a man from the East Side.
An arrest warrant affidavit showed that police were searching the complex after the girl's mother called authorities to report the situation. The woman said her daughter's friend informed her that the 15-year-old was at the home of the suspect, identified as 30-year-old Anthony Jassiel Cortez, as per KSAT.
When police arrived at the man's home, he told them the teenage girl stayed at his home for a few days, but that he dropped her off at a mall. But when law enforcement continued their search, they heard the victim knocking from inside an outdoor storage closet.
