Sanpete Co. man charged for kidnapping 12-year-old, stealing vehicle, and causing police chase

SANPETE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — The man accused of kidnapping a 12-year-old and leading law enforcement on a police chase when they were found has been charged, revealing new information about what led up to the pursuit.

Aiden Dramore Larsen, 20, of Moroni, was charged with child kidnapping, a first-degree felony, and theft of an operable motor vehicle, a second-degree felony, by the Sanpete County Attorney.

He was also charged in two separate cases by the Sevier County Attorney for failure to respond to an officer’s signal to stop, a third-degree felony, and rape of a child, a first-degree felony.

New information from court documents indicates that on Oct. 14, 2025, the Sanpete County Sheriff’s Office was contacted regarding a stolen vehicle and possible child kidnapping. The caller stated that her 12-year-old daughter was not home, and her father’s truck was missing.

A detective with the sheriff’s office responded to the residence and found “no evidence that the child had been forcibly abducted.” The detective stated that the family suspected the child had stolen the truck keys from her grandfather. Several suicide letters from the 12-year-old victim were found.

Previously, the sheriff’s office was investigating the underage victim’s involvement with 20-year-old Larsen and believed he may have been connected to the disappearance. Officials put out a statewide attempt to locate notice for the truck and the 12-year-old.

Law enforcement began canvassing the areas that the victim frequented. Documents say that investigators were able to track down all of the 12-year-old’s “known associates” except for Larsen. In speaking with family members and friends, the detective learned that Larsen had allegedly given the victim a second phone to communicate with him.

The detective used that phone’s number to get location data, which had pinged in Nephi around 11 a.m. Data from the FLOCK camera system showed the stolen truck was seen near Nephi around 5:39 a.m. The Nephi Police Department was notified and began searching for the juvenile.

A search warrant was granted for Larsen’s location data, and the detective was able to track his device to somewhere near the Snow College Richfield campus just before 3 p.m. The Richfield Police Department began trying to locate Larsen and the underage victim.

A Richfield patrol sergeant located the vehicle and attempted a stop at the Flying J with a Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) trooper, but Larsen allegedly fled, causing a vehicle pursuit.

The UHP trooper and other law enforcement pursued Larsen, reporting that he went onto the highway and was reaching speeds over 100 miles per hour during the pursuit. When the truck exited the highway, it traveled through the Elsinore main street at over 75 mph and later through Monroe at over 80 mph.

Due to the high speeds through residential areas, law enforcement stopped pursuing Larsen for public safety concerns. A short time later, a pursuit reignited when the truck was spotted on the freeway heading towards Joseph.

The pursuit led up Clear Creek Canyon, and the UHP was able to spike the vehicle’s front tires when they came back down the frontage road on the overpass. Documents say that the truck entered the Sevier RV Park and ran through multiple fences.

Larsen and the victim allegedly got out and fled on foot, but both were located. Larsen was taken into custody, and police say neither suffered any serious injuries.

Law enforcement interviewed the 12-year-old victim, who police say entered the interview room and said, “you’re going to charge him with statutory rape anyway,” and that “the kidnapping charge is bull… I’m the one that took the truck and picked him up.”

During the interview, the underage girl stated that she had stolen the vehicle and met with Larsen in Manti around 5 a.m. that morning. She said they went to Nephi together, then to Payson. The victim allegedly disclosed to police that he had sexually abused her while they were together.

Larsen was arrested and booked into the Sevier County Jail, where he is currently being held without bail. A no-bail arrest warrant is also being ordered for him in Sanpete County.