PROVO, Utah — Police responding to a report of a prowler in Provo instead found a woman who claimed to be the victim of an assault, and now her ex-boyfriend has been charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault.
According to the Provo Police Department, officers responded to a home around 5:30 a.m. Monday on report of a prowler in the area of 300 North and 1600 West.
Responding officers found the “prowler” was actually the victim of an assault and kidnapping who had fled to a nearby home after escaping her ex-boyfriend.
The victim said things began around 2:30 a.m. when she came home and found her ex-boyfriend, 24-year-old Edgar Hernandez of West Valley City, waiting for her outside. The man allegedly forced the woman into his truck, where he tied her wrists together and stuffed a rag into her mouth to silence her.
Hernandez allegedly assaulted the victim repeatedly over the course of several hours while inside the truck. The victim managed to escape when Hernandez tried to move her from the truck to her home. The man chased the victim, who ran into a neighbor’s residence and called for help.
The neighbors believed there was a prowler inside their home, so they called police.
Officers determined the victim suffered multiple bruises and lacerations as well as a broken finger due to the assaults. After an investigation, detectives booked Hernandez on charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault.
