IRON COUNTY, Utah, July 5, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A former Utah resident has been extradited from Idaho to face charges that he raped a former coworker at a Paragonah dairy on Oct. 31 of 2021.
Suspect Miguel Angel Leon Gomez, 27, is in the Iron County Jail, charged on suspicion of:
- Forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony
- Rape, a first-degree felony
- Object rape, a first-degree felony
- Forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony
The alleged victim said that on the day of the attack, she arrived early for work, so waited for daylight in a work shed, pulling out her phone to pass the time.
“While she was waiting, Gomez came into the shed,” his charging documents say. “Gomez was a co-worker and Johnson said she had known him for roughly five months at the time of the crime. Johnson said that they had only spoken a few times during the period that they had known each other. She said that they had a conversation once about where Gomez was from — she learned he had family in Idaho and said they exchanged phone numbers. However, they did not go on any dates and they did not have any kind of intimate relationship.”
The woman said she grew uncomfortable with Gomez after an incident in which he pulled up her dress. She avoided looking at him or talking to him after that happened, she told investigators.
“When Gomez came into the shed, Johnson thought, ‘I need to get out of here,’ say charging documents filed by an officer of the Iron County Sheriff’s Office. “Gomez walked straight for her and gave her a big hug but (the woman) began pushing him away.”
A male coworker entered the shed to retrieve an item, but did not see the other occupants because of the angle, the affidavit says. Gomez released his hold on the woman, and she tried to leave and follow the coworker as he left.
“However, Gomez grabbed her before she could leave,” the statement says.
Gomez turned off the light and restrained the woman, who told him she did not want sex, charging documents say. He allegedly forced himself on her multiple times.
After the alleged attack, the woman informed a coworker, and Gomez was fired. He moved away from the area, the affidavit says.
“In January of 2023 detectives were able to locate Gomez living in Idaho. The Jerome City Police Department was contacted and a courtesy interview of Gomez was conducted. When Gomez was informed of the allegations that were being made against him, he initially denied
knowledge of what was described.”
He later said he was fired from a job in Utah “over the same accusations back in 2021.” He said he did not remember the woman’s name, but they “had been involved in a consensual sexual relationship for around three to four months” before she made accusations, and he was fired, charging documents say.
Gomez made his first court appearance on June 30, and is scheduled for his preliminary hearing and detention review on July 11.
