SPANISH FORK, Utah (UCSO) — This morning at 5:12 AM, a Lieutenant with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office was driving north on Main Street in Spanish Fork near Arrowhead Trail. As he passed a local business, he saw a car in the parking lot that had the lights on and was parked askew to any parking stall. That business was not open, so the Lieutenant turned around to check on the car and any occupants. As he drove south, he saw that car now driving north, traveling 60 MPH in a 40 MPH zone. The Lieutenant then initiated a traffic stop and the driver pulled to the side of the road near the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds.
The Lieutenant spoke to the driver, who said he was 16 year sold, and the passenger, who said she was 14. After getting conflicting stories from each of them, The Lieutenant learned that the boy is 17 years old, from Salt Lake County, and the girl is 12years old, from Utah County. Investigators also learned the two met through social media and have interacted there for the past couple of months. The boy somehow learned where this girl lived and showed up at her home sometime before 5:00 A.M. this morning, taking her with him. They drove around, stopping at several different locations, until they came to the location of the business on the south end of Spanish Fork Main Street where the UCSO Lieutenant saw the car.
At this last location the 17-year-old suspect sexually assaulted the girl. She tried to resist, and the boy told her that before they left, she was going to have sex with him. It was about this time that they left the parking lot and were stopped by the Lieutenant. The car the boy was driving was stolen earlier this morning from a home in Salt Lake County.
A Utah County Sheriff’s Office Deputy booked the 17-year-oldboy into Slate Canyon Youth Detention Center on the following charges:
-Child kidnapping, first degree felony
-Vehicle theft, second degree felony
-Obstruction of justice, second degree felony
-False personal information, class A misdemeanor
-No driver license, infraction
-No insurance, infraction
Spanish Fork Police responded and are investigating the sex offenses committed against this juvenile.
