Man charged with kidnapping, assaulting 15-year-old in Vernal

VERNAL, Utah (ABC4) — A man living in Vernal has been arrested after sexually assaulting a minor and holding him at his apartment against his will, police say.

Jose Gutierrez Torres, 34, is facing possible charges of forcible sodomy, aggravated kidnapping, obstruction of justice and providing a peace officer false personal information.

According to a press release from the Vernal Police Department, Tuesday night, officers were flagged down by a man who reported that his 15-year-old son was missing. A location-tracking app showed that the teen was possibly at an apartment located in Vernal.

Officers with the Vernal Police Department began canvassing the area in search of the 15-year-old. While searching, officers spoke with a man living at the apartment complex. According to documents, the man was later identified as Torres, and police used a translation app to communicate with him, as he only spoke Spanish.

Torres denied seeing a 15-year-old in the area, and officers continued making contact with residents in the area. During this search, the mother of the 15-year-old contacted police and said she had heard from him. The teen reportedly told his mother that he was being held against his will by an unknown male and that he was scared.

While police continued searching for the teen with this new information, he was seen running away from the apartment where Torres lived. Officers made contact with the 15-year-old, who told police that he had been physically attacked and sexually assaulted by the individual who was holding him against his will.

A Vernal officer showed the teen a photo of Torres, and he confirmed that it was the man who assaulted him. The 15-year-old was then transported to the hospital for a medical evaluation. Police made contact with Torres by phone, convinced him to leave the apartment, and detained him. Torres was booked into the Uintah County Jail and is currently being held without bail.

The Vernal Police Department has stated that no further information will be released in order to protect the privacy of the 15-year-old.

“We encourage parents and guardians to consider using location-tracking tools on their children’s mobile devices, which can be extremely helpful in emergency situations,” the police department stated.