PINTURA, Utah — A man is in custody after he allegedly attempted to kidnap a woman, only to have his attempt thwarted by the victim who slipped a note to a witness at a southern Utah gas station, according to the Iron County Sheriff's Office.
Epigmenio Bustillos Marquez, 53, was arrested on Saturday and faces multiple charges, including aggravated kidnapping, assault, and providing false personal information to a peace officer, damage or interruption of a communication device.
According to court documents, on Saturday at around 1:22 p.m., deputies were dispatched to the Cedar Band Travel Plaza, about seven miles southwest of Cedar City.
At the gas station, a witness told investigators that a woman had given her a handwritten note advising her she was in trouble and needed help. The witness then saw the victim get into a white Chevrolet Equinox with Nevada license plates. The witness followed the vehicle as it got onto Interstate 15 and began traveling northbound.
Deputies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle near mile marker 60 on Interstate 15 and approached the vehicle from the passenger side. When talking to the female victim, deputies reported her not behaving normally and asked to leave the vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Marquez, provided identification from Durango, Mexico with a false name and date of birth.
The victim told officers that she and Marquez had been in a relationship for 25 years. However, she noted that recently Marquez's behavior had been erratic.
The victim told police she had asked Marquez to drive her to work that morning, but when he picked her up he began accusing her of cheating in the relationship. Instead of taking the victim to work, Marquez allegedly threatened to take her to Salt Lake City or Denver.
When the victim told Marquez she wanted to get out of the vehicle, Marquez allegedly threatened that she would die if she tried due to the speed at which they were traveling. Marquez then took her phone so she couldn't call anyone and at one point struck the victim in the mouth.
Investigators searched Marquez's wallet and found another Mexican ID card with his actual name and date of birth. However, even after being shown the identification, Marquez continued to deny that it was his real identity.
