SALT LAKE CITY — The man accused of terrorizing a Millcreek family and holding them hostage for nearly six months was ordered to have no contact with any of them during a court appearance Monday.
Dominic Garcia appeared in a Salt Lake County courtroom remotely, along with his attorney, where the judge read aloud the names of seven family members who are now under a protective order.
As the judge read each name, Garcia acknowledged that he knew that person.
Garcia, 23, was arrested last month and later charged with 20 counts relating to keeping the family against their will, claiming he was part of a cartel and threatening their lives.
"Over time, Garcia created an atmosphere of fear and control, falsely creating affiliations with dangerous cartel," said Unified Police Sgt. Aymee Race after Garcia's arrest. "He claimed his people were watching and any defiance would result in their deaths."
Suspect terrorizes Millcreek family for months, claiming 'cartel' was going to kill them:
The charges against Garcia include Child Abuse, Aggravated Sexual Assault, Aggravated Kidnapping, Voyeurism and Assault of a Pregnant Person.
Garcia was arrested after police were called to the Millcreek home and found him being held at gunpoint by the family. The family explained that after Garcia was allowed to stay in their home in December, he claimed that his own family was part of a business with ties to a carter, and that they needed to do what he said to stay on the cartel's "good side."
During the nearly six months they were held captive, the family said Garcia would threaten them with a gun, and also forced them to flee the home for over a month. He is also accused of checking the phones of family members and confronting them over messages he didn't like, and limiting the times they were allowed to leave the home.
Garcia allegedly forced the family to participate in a "boot camp" which entailed multiple workouts each day.
Under the protective order, Garcia is not allowed to have any contact with the family, through phone, text, email or any other means of communication. When asked by the judge whether he understood the conditions of the protective order, Garcia replied, "Yes, your honor."
While Garcia is currently being held in jail without bail, a detention hearing has been scheduled for Friday to determine whether he can be released.
