Utah
Man may be trying to take missing 13-year-old Utah girl to Mexico, charges say
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WEST VALLEY CITY — An arrest warrant has been issued for a person who police say groomed a 13-year-old lady and satisfied her to run away with him.
Carlos Armenta Cota, 27, was charged Wednesday in third District Courtroom with 4 counts of kid kidnapping, a first-degree felony; and three counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony.
As of Wednesday, the lady remained lacking and police consider Cota could also be making an attempt to take her to Mexico.
Cota advised the 13-year-old lady’s mom that he needed to be the lady’s “boyfriend” and requested permission to this point her, however the mom stated no, in keeping with charging paperwork.
Between June 1, 2022, and Jan. 31, nonetheless, the lady ran away from residence a number of instances. In a single incident final summer season, the mom advised police she discovered Cota’s truck parked at a homeless camp with Cota and her daughter inside, the costs state. Cota began his truck however the mom stood in entrance of it to attempt to forestall them from leaving.
“Armenta Cota accelerated and hit (the mom) along with his truck,” the charging paperwork state. The mom suffered bruising to her leg.
On one other event, the mom stated she discovered her daughter once more after working away and Cota pointed a gun at her, in keeping with the costs.
Detectives talked to the lady’s 15-year-old sister who stated that Cota, who she stated was from Mexico however didn’t know his title, “does quite a lot of unhealthy issues,” in keeping with charging paperwork.
“The state believes that the defendant is making an attempt to take the sufferer again to Mexico. The sufferer is listed on (the Nationwide Crime Info Middle database) as a runaway and the defendant is conscious that the sufferer will not be speculated to be with him,” the costs say. “Primarily based upon data realized through the investigation, it is believed that the defendant and the sufferer are in a relationship. … The sufferer’s mom is saying that each time she confronted the defendant about being with the sufferer, he would pull a gun on her and one other time he hit her along with his automotive. The present whereabouts of the sufferer are unknown.
“(Cota) was clearly grooming the sufferer,” investigators wrote within the courtroom paperwork.
When arrested, prosecutors have requested that Cota be held with out bail pending trial.