CEDAR CITY, Utah, March 10, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) -- Iron County Sheriff deputies booked a 53-year-old man into jail on Saturday after a woman at the Cedar Bands Travel Plaza passed a handwritten note to another patron.
"A female customer informed them that an adult Hispanic woman approached her in the bathroom and handed her a note indicating that she was in trouble," says a news release issued by the ICSO.
"The note stated that the man driving the vehicle was either taking her to Salt Lake City or Denver and had made threats of harm.
"The female passenger explained to the (other woman) that they were driving a white Chevrolet Equinox with a Nevada license plate. As the vehicle left the Cedar Bands Travel Plaza, the employee followed it in her personal car as it traveled northbound on Interstate 15.
"When the Equinox approached Cedar City, deputies conducted a traffic stop. Upon approaching the vehicle's passenger side and requesting identification from the female passenger, she mouthed the words, 'HELP ME.'"
The driver was identified as Epigmenio Bustillo Marquez.
The victim, a resident of Las Vegas, was wearing a uniform from a well-known casino, and "reported that she had been abused," the statement says.
"She explained that the male suspect was supposed to take her to work in Las Vegas that day but instead had driven north. She stated that her cell phone had been taken away and that she was being held against her will by the male suspect, who she had been living with for 25 years.
"He suspected her of cheating."
An officer from the Cedar City Police Department arrived to assist with translation. At the same time, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper came to help with a fingerprint scanner to verify the identity of the suspect as Bustillo Marquez, a Las Vegas resident.
Court documents, however, claim Bustillo Marquez repeatedly lied to officer's about his identity and that an ID found in his wallet indicated he was a resident of Mexico.
"Bustillo Marquez claimed they were traveling to Salt Lake City to visit cousins; however, deputies discovered that the suspect's family lived in St. George."
Bustillo Marquez's probable cause statement says he was arrested for investigation of alleged:
- Aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony
- Prohibited use of identification card, a class A misdemeanor
- Assault, a class B misdemeanor
- Damage/interrupt communication device, a class B misdemeanor
- Operating a vehicle without a license or permit, a class B misdemeanor
Bustillo Marquez was booked into the Iron County jail and ordered to be held without bail.
"Bustillos Marquez is likely in America illegally and has crossed the border multiple times according to the victim. He could easily flee to avoid prosecution. Bustillos Marquez also knows where the victim lives and could retaliate due to the charges," the probable cause statement said.
