LEHI, Utah, March 30, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A Lehi man has been arrested after he called police to report his daughter kidnapped by a neighbor.
But a Lehi police report arrested the caller as the suspect, now charged with child abuse and failing to cooperate with police.
Gephardt Daily is not releasing the father’s name to protect the privacy of his daughter. The 37-year-old suspect faces charges of:
- Child abuse with injury, intentional or knowing, a class A misdemeanor
- Reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor
- Interference with an arresting officer, a class B misdemeanor
- Two counts of resisting or obstructing a peace officer, a class B misdemeanor
Lehi Police officers were dispatched Wednesday afternoon.
“The suspect… called dispatch advising his daughter was kidnapped by the neighbor,” the man’s arrest documents say. “The neighbor called in to dispatch to advise (the suspect’s) daughter, the victim, ran into her residence with a bleeding arm and damp. The victim informed the neighbor her father was abusing her and she was trying to get away from him.
“I made contact with the victim. She told me (the suspected abuser) became angry with (her for) some reason. She contacted her mother with her phone, but then (the suspect) took her phone. He grabbed her by both arms and his nails left scratches on both arms. I observed the marks on her arms and took photos.”
The child ran to the bathroom in an attempt to escape the abuse, the statement says.
“He then broke through the bathroom door to get to her. At one point, he pushed her and she fell onto a bucket in the room. The bucket left a laceration on her left arm.”
The suspect resisted officers who arrived and tried to detain him, the Lehi Police statement says.
“He actively resisted them. I made contact with him and told him he needed to go to my patrol vehicle. He stated he did not wish to. Officers then grabbed him and walked him to the patrol vehicle. He was placed into the car and was informed he was under arrest for child abuse. He still actively attempted to keep Officers from closing the door and refused to obey commands.
“The victim also informed staff at the hospital that (her father) attempted to drive his vehicle out of the garage with her on the hood. This was when she then ran away from him to the neighbor’s house.”
The suspect was booked into the Utah County Jail, with bail set at $2,500 bail.
