WAYNE COUNTY, Utah — The man accused of kidnapping, raping and holding a Snow College student against her will for several days in his basement had a warrants out for his arrest issued in 2018, according to documents obtained by FOX 13 News.
Brent Brown failed to appear before a judge in a witness tampering case in Box Elder County, according to court filings. Following his absence, a court issued a bench warrant.
FOX 13 contacted Box Elder County law enforcement officials to learn more about the warrant and why Brown had not been arrested previously. We have yet to receive a response.
Two more warrants were issued for his arrest in the time since: One for failure to appear on a traffic citation in 2018 in Cache County, and one for an unknown charge in 2020 in Wasatch County.
Brown, 39, of Loa, is now facing various charges after a 19-year-old college student was discovered naked inside his home on Saturday after being missing for five days.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Brown contacted the 19-year-old in an online "chat group" and planned to pick her up on Dec. 13 — but the interaction quickly became non-consensual and violent.
According to the complaint, Brown allegedly tied the 19-year-old up while he was at work, took her phone when he realized police were looking for her, and "threatened her, claiming if she left or informed anybody about him, he would come after her family and sister."
According to court filings, authorities used cell phone tower information to track down Brown down at his home in Loa, approximately an hour and a half drive from where the victim was last seen.
According to the affidavit, the 19-year-old was discovered naked and covered with coal in a basement room after Brown – who answered the door when police knocked – initially told officers that no one else was inside.
The victim told detectives that "Brown raped her several times daily," but she didn't attempt to escape because of threats made against her family and sister.
Snow College Police Chief Derek Walk said on Sunday that the victim was found and taken to a local hospital for evaluation before being reunited with her family.
