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West Wendover man jailed for kidnapping, attempted murder of Utah woman

Posted at 11:05 AM, May 23, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-23 13:05:33-04

WEST WENDOVER, Nev. — A West Wendover, Nev. man has been booked into the Elko County Jail on suspicion of kidnapping, battery and the attempted murder of a Utah woman.

Ivan Abarca, 33, is accused of taking the woman by force from her home in Utah to a home in West Wendover, holding her by force, striking her with weights and trying to force her to jump out of a second-floor window.

Police responded to the West Wendover home on May 15 after receiving a report of domestic violence.

“Upon arrival the officers could hear sounds and voices coming from within the residence that lead them to believe a female was being threatened and restrained,” a news release from West Wendover Police said.

The woman gave police a brief statement before she was taken to a hospital in Salt Lake City for treatment of her injuries. After she was released, she gave police further information that prompted a domestic violence charge to be upgraded to attempted to murder.

Abarca denied hurting the woman and claimed her injuries were self-inflicted, the news release said.