SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. 25, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A 53-year-old man is facing multiple possible felony charges after he allegedly kidnapped a former girlfriend, taped a hatchet to his wrist, and confined her and two other people to a motel room.
Salt Lake City police were called to Motel 6 at 176 W. 600 South in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, says an affidavit filed in the arrest of Larry Eugene Boyce.
“We made contact with the room, (Boyce) opened the door and I observed blue tape on his right wrist. Another male in the room stated he had hid the hatchet underneath one of the beds in the room which is where I located the hatchet.”
A female told to remain in the bathroom was an ex-girlfriend of Boyce’s. The woman said she had been told to stay in the bathroom five to six hours earlier, and had asked to leave, a request she said was denied by Boyce.
The other man and woman in the room said they had allowed Boyce and his ex-girlfriend into the room at about midnight, and about a half hour later, Boyce “became agitated and paranoid. Both stated he pulled a hatchet out of his backpack and continually checked the peephole to the room and told all members to stay inside.
“Male and female stated they begged (Boyce) several times to be allowed to leave to which (Boyce) would swing the hatchet around and tell them to stay put, and would not allow them to leave, keeping himself between the door and the victims.”
Boyce’s affidavit noted he was a category 2 restricted person after a felony domestic violence conviction, and was barred from having dangerous weapons.
Police found crack cocaine, needles and a tooter straw made from a pen, his affidavit says.
“After he was taken into custody, (Boyce) then lied about his name. (He) has numerous felony warrants, two of which are violations of protective orders.”
Boyce was booked into the Salt Lake County jail system for investigation of:
- Three counts of aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony
- Unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon, a class A misdemeanor
- Possession of a controlled substance schedule I/II/analog, a class A misdemeanor
- Providing police officer false personal information of another actual person, a class A misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
As always, the County Attorney’s Office will determine charges.
Boyce was ordered held without bail.
