OGDEN, Utah, Oct. 29, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A man has been jailed without bail after police say he kidnapped a woman he had formerly dated in Ogden, stole her purse, struck her repeatedly, and foiled at least two escape attempts before she got away, in Evanston, Wyoming.
Irwine Corrales-Ochoa, 28, faces charges of:
- Aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony
- Robbery, a second-degree felony
- Assault, a class B misdemeanor
- Criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor
- Interruption/interference of a communications device, a class B misdemeanor
- Possession of controlled substance – marijuana/spice, a class B misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
- Use of hand-held device to write/send/read data while operating a vehicle, a class C misdemeanor
The incident was reported on Oct. 11, although Corrales-Ochoa was arrested Wednesday. The victim told officers she was at an Ogden bar at about 1 a.m. Oct. 11 when she saw Corrales-Ochoa was present and watching her.
“The victim had received a notification from her friend that the friend had been contacted by Irwine and he asked where the victim was,” says a probable cause statement by an officer of the Weber County Sheriff’s Office. “The victim believed Irwine had followed her to this location. In the bar, Irwine looked angry at her as she danced. The victim went to speak with Irwine so as to defuse the situation.”
The statement says the woman stepped outside the bar to talk with Corrales-Ochoa in hopes of defusing the situation, and because it was too loud to talk inside the bar.
“Once outside, Irwine coaxed the female to his vehicle so as to continue the conversation,” the statement says. “The female expressed reservations about this and told Irwine she didn’t want to go anywhere. Irwine promised not to drive anywhere and the two would just talk in the vehicle. As soon as the female closed her door, Irwine locked the door and sped off.
“The female pleaded with Irwine to stop and let her out but he refused, driving erratically, and he told the female she was his.”
Corrales-Ochoa then hit her, injuring her lip, the statement says.
“Irwine told the victim he could touch her however and whenever he wanted and that he was not going to let her out,” the statement says. “Irwine drove toward the Ogden Canyon and continued east up the canyon into the area of Huntsville and Eden.”
The woman used her cellphone to try to call police, but Corrales-Ochoa grabbed the device, “and told the victim she wasn’t going to call anyone,” the probable cause statement says.
Corrales-Ochoa parked at the Monte Cristo campground, about a hour’s drive from the bar, the statement says.
“Once parked, the female victim saw people nearby and she hit the car horn to get their attention and screamed for help,” the statement says. “Irwine hit her hand away and as the female attempted again to get out, he grabbed at her hair and arm, pulling her back into the car, and again punched her in the face, causing swelling and discoloration under the victim’s left eye.”
He then began driving again, and pulled the woman’s purse from her hands, breaking the chain and throwing the purse out the car window, the probable cause statement says. The woman tried to escape again before being hit and pulled back into the car, it says.
Corrales-Ochoa allegedly drove until morning, when he realized he needed gas, and pulled into a Maverik station. Corrales-Ochoa then went across the street to get money from a laundromat, the statement says.
The victim went into the Maverik, learned she was in Evanston, and used the business phone to call her father to come get her before locking herself in a restroom, the probable cause statement says.
The victim’s purse was located by a hunter, who called her to return it. Corrales-Ochoa was found, driving while on the phone, and his car was impounded. The victim’s phone was found inside, as were drugs and drug paraphernalia.
The arresting officer recommended Corrales-Ochoa be held without bail.
“The use of remote areas while driving the victim is especially troubling as similar cases have resulted in homicide,” the statement said. “Based on the heinous behavior by Irwine, it is believed that the victim could again be tracked down and come to harm should the suspect be released.”
