Man charged with kidnapping 13-year-old in white van in St. George

ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4) — A man living in St. George has been charged with kidnapping after picking up a 13-year-old in a white van late last night.

Eugenio Fabian Hernando Ramirez, 29, is facing one felony charge of child kidnapping, one felony charge of failure to stop at the command of police, and two misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment and driving.

According to the arresting statement filed by the St. George Police Department, two juvenile girls were walking home near the 700 E block of Riverside Drive. Police responded to the area around 9:25 p.m. on reports of a possible kidnapping.

One of the young girls reported to police that her sister was approached by a white van with a frog on the side. She said that the van then sped away, and she was unable to locate her sister.

Officers began traveling the area in search of the van, police said. Police located the vehicle around 10:10 p.m. in the area of 900 S and 400 E. Bike officers tried to stop the vehicle, but it sped away toward Sunland Drive, according to documents.

Police were able to stop the vehicle after a pursuit where it crossed into the wrong side of traffic before coming to a dead end at the Crosby Confluence Park. Hernando Ramirez got out of the driver’s seat, and the missing juvenile exited from the passenger seat.

Search warrants have been filed by police for Hernando Ramirez’s electronic devices, according to documents. Police are investigating whether he was in contact with the 13-year-old before the kidnapping.

Hernando Ramirez was arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail just after midnight.