SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 28, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A 16-year-old boy accused of sexually assaulting a woman who was jogging near the Sandy Civic Center TRAX station in March has admitted in adult court to a charge of first-degree felony aggravated sexual assault.
Rainier Craig Peterson told a judge in adult court Tuesday morning that he had pulled the woman off the trail and raped and beat her.
He had already admitted to first-degree aggravated kidnapping in juvenile court.
Peterson, who was 15 at the time, was arrested March 20 after the assault the day before, and was booked into the Salt Lake Valley Detention Center on charges of first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping, first-degree felony aggravated sexual assault, two counts of first-degree felony aggravated assault, first-degree felony aggravated robbery, two counts of first-degree felony forcible sodomy, and two counts of second-degree felony obstruction.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 11.
According to a news release from Sandy Police Department, a woman in her 40s was jogging on a path near the TRAX station at 115 Sego Lily Drive at about 1 p.m. when the attack took place.
The suspect pulled the woman off the path, assaulted her, then fled, leaving her in a gully, officials said.
The woman was able to flag someone down, and that person called 911. The woman was transported to the hospital in fair condition.
The area where the attack took place is near several running and walking trails, including Dewey Bluth Park and Lone Peak Park. It’s also just south of Jordan High School.
Peterson’s arrest was announced at 5:45 p.m. the next day, but his identity was withheld because he had not yet been charged as an adult.
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as information is made available.
