SANDY, Utah -- A Sandy man faces felony kidnapping and assault charges for allegedly keeping his girlfriend imprisoned at their home and attacking her after she said she was leaving.
According to a probable cause statement filed Monday in the Third District Court, the woman - who FOX 13 won't identify - told police she had been living with her boyfriend, 38-year-old Jared Edward McGrath, in his Sandy home for about a year.
The woman said McGrath prevented her from leaving the residence using window alarms and doors locked from the inside with combination locks. She also said there were security cameras installed, which McGrath allegedly used to monitor her activities.
In addition to those measures, the woman told police McGrath had used wire to keep a sliding glass door closed and that he would sleep by the front door of the home to prevent her from leaving.
She also accused McGrath of taking her clothes from her, and restraining her with rope, duct tape or handcuffs to prevent her from leaving because McGrath thought she was cheating on him.
On February 26, the statement said, she told McGrath she was leaving to enter rehab.
"[McGrath] became angry and told her she wasn't going anywhere until she paid him $70,000 in cash or drugs that she owes him for the past four months," the statement said.
At that point, the woman told police McGrath grabbed two machetes and told her she had 10 minutes to get drugs or he would torture and kill her.
After 10 minutes passed, McGrath allegedly began striking the woman on her head with the flat edge of a machete.
The woman said McGrath fell asleep and, when he woke up, he demanded that the woman get drugs for him. She said McGrath was holding her by her shoulder and he was holding a steak knife.
She told police she tried to grab the steak knife and cut her finger in the process.
At that point, the probable cause statement said, McGrath forced her to go with him to buy drugs at a McDonalds.
The woman said McGrath entered a car to make the exchange, and she went inside the McDonald's, where she hid behind the counter while employees called police.
Police said the woman had red marks on her upper arm and the left side of a knee, some bumps on her head, a bruise under her left eye and two small scratches between her eyes.
McGrath faces two first-degree felony counts of aggravated kidnapping and one second-degree felony count of aggravated assault. Each charge carries a penalty of up to life in prison if he is convicted.
