SANDY, Utah — Two men are facing charges after a Sandy man was allegedly assaulted, kidnapped from his apartment, and robbed.
Gabriel Villasenor Pedraza, 32, and Kendrick Zavala, 20, were arrested Friday and face charges of aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated robbery.
According to court documents, on Tuesday, January 20, the victim told police that he was asleep in his bed when he heard a knock at the door. At first, the victim reportedly ignored the knocking but would eventually go check.
When the victim looked outside, he claimed to see a man he recognized, Pedraza, who motioned to someone to join him at the door.
The victim, according to police, opened the door, and the two men pushed their way into the home.
Investigators say that once the men were inside the residence, Pedraza grabbed him from behind while Zavala went into the victim's room looking for his cellphone. The victim said that after a short time, Zavala came back from the room and struck the victim with a brick that was on top of a snake enclosure.
Detectives say the victim remembered Zavala telling Pedraza to get out his gun. Pedraza reportedly complied and pulled a gun from his waistband and began striking the victim in the face with it.
The victim recalled to investigators that the men told him that he owed them money, something the victim disputes.
According to the victim, the men took him from the apartment and forced him into the back of a vehicle at gunpoint. Pedraza then sat in the backseat with the victim, holding him at gunpoint, as they drove to a nearby 7/11.
Once at the convenience store, Pedraza took the victim's debit card and went into the store. However, after a short time, the man returned and asked for the victim's pin code and went back into the store and withdrew $400 from the victim's accounts.
Police say they were able to review surveillance footage from the store and confirmed the account of events.
After the men withdrew the money, they reportedly drove the victim home and told him they would return in a few days.
Zavala and Pedraza are being held without bail.
