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Provo Police: man arrested after assaulting pregnant girlfriend, threatening to kill her

Posted at 3:52 PM, May 23, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-23 17:52:37-04

PROVO, Utah — A man is behind bars after police say he assaulted his pregnant girlfriend, held her against her will and threatened to take her out into a field and kill her.

According to Provo Police, the incident began Tuesday around 5:25 p.m. with a 911 hang-up call where dispatchers could hear a woman crying and in distress.

Police responded to the address associated with the phone and learned the phone belonged to a woman who relatives said had recently moved in with her boyfriend in Provo.

As police were investigating, a second 911 call was made by a citizen who saw a woman run from a vehicle while screaming for help. Officers responded to that area and found the woman who had attempted the first 911 call.

She told police her boyfriend, 22-year-old Jeremy Rodriguez of Provo, began arguing with her over her pregnancy.

Police say the woman packed her belongings and got in her car to leave the apartment the two shared, but Rodriguez got into the passenger seat as she drove away. At some point Rodriguez pulled the emergency brake while they were driving, causing the car to stop, and at that time police say he began physically assaulting the woman.

The woman tried to flee, but the man held her in a chokehold until she managed to escape. The woman fled and managed to call 911, but Rodriguez took the phone and terminated the call—which was the 911 hang-up call mentioned above.

After hanging up the phone, Rodriguez convinced the woman to get back into the car by saying he would drive her to her family. However, he drove elsewhere and told the victim he was going to take her into the fields near Springfield and kill her, then later said he would “beat the s— out of her but would kill her if she did anything like this again.”

Rodriguez pulled the car off of a highway in Springville, and as he slowed down to go to a gas station the woman got out of the car and ran, where she got into a citizen’s vehicle.

The man driving that vehicle saw Rodriguez pursuing the woman, let her into his car and then called 911.

Rodriguez fled the scene before police arrived, but he was ultimately found and questioned. He was arrested and booked into jail, where he faces charges of criminal mischief, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping and interruption of a communication device.

Support is available 24/7 in Utah for those dealing with domestic violence. Visit the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition online or call 1-800-897-5465 for resources and assistance. In an emergency, dial 911.