MIDVALE, Utah, March 12, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Three men are in custody following an alleged aggravated kidnapping in Midvale over the weekend, police said.
The Unified Police Department Midvale Precinct and Violent Crimes Unit is investigating the kidnapping of a 30-year-old man, who later escaped and called police, the department said in a news release.
The suspects have been identified as Mitchell De Cora, 26, Gilbert Garcia, 44, and Jack Ables, 61. The three are facing charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, theft and threats.
UPD Midvale Precinct officers were called by the victim on Saturday night, the news release said. He was reporting a theft of a security camera. The victim believed the suspects to be the upstairs neighbors in the complex in which they all reside, in the area of 19 W. Marquette Drive (8300 South), in Midvale. Police looked to question the upstairs neighbors; however, they were not home.
“Later in the evening, the victim spotted the suspects outside of their apartment, having a smoke,” the news release said. “Because of a past friendly relationship, the victim went to speak with the suspects, hoping to straighten the situation. When the victim went inside the suspects’ apartment, the door closed behind him and one of the suspects grabbed and held him with a knife to his throat.”
The suspects demanded the victim drop the theft case or else he would be killed. The victim was held in the apartment by the group of three suspects and later forced into an orange 2008 Cadillac CTS. The victim was able to unlock a back door and jump from the moving vehicle. The victim escaped with only minor injuries.
On Sunday morning, police found the orange Cadillac at the Wasatch Apartments in Midvale. All three suspects were taken into custody without incident.
The suspects’ vehicle was impounded and a search warrant for evidence was served at the address on Marquette Drive. The suspects were interviewed and later booked into the Salt Lake County Jail.
The victim has not been identified.
