SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah, May 14, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A 19-year-old man was booked into jail Saturday morning after the alleged sexual assault of a woman in Saratoga Springs.
An affidavit for Abraham Isaac Cruz Hernandez says he is active as a missionary in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Court documents say Cruz Hernandez and the female were together alone in a garage setting when they began what the female later described as consensual kissing. After that, Hernandez began reaching under her clothing, and “the victim told Abraham to stop,” she told police, according to Cruz Hernandez’s affidavit.
The victim said Cruz Hernandez did not stop, and sexually assaulted her, she told Saratoga Springs Police officers. He then allegedly forced a second sexual act, and “The victim told Abraham again to stop,” the affidavit says.
The female told police Cruz Hernandez he did not stop, adding that “Shortly after their friends came in the garage and told them to stop.”
Approached by police, Hernandez allegedly told them that he and the female had consensual sex, the statement says. Post Miranda, Cruz Hernandez declined to speak further.
Cruz Hernandez was arrested for investigation of:
- Forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony
- Rape, a first-degree felony
- Sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor
Cruz Hernandez was ordered held without bail.
“Abraham is currently serving as a missionary for the LDS Church, he does not have any family, support system, or ties within Utah,” the affidavit says. “If released, he will likely return to his home state of California.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent the following statement to Gephardt Daily on Monday night after an initial inquiry submitted Saturday:
“This individual was immediately removed from his volunteer missionary service as soon as the Church learned of these very serious and troubling allegations,” the statement says. “The Church is cooperating fully with law enforcement in this investigation.
“Missionaries are expected to abide by the highest standards, and those who do not will be released and sent home, and in situations involving criminal allegations, also face loss of Church membership.”
