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OREM — Calling it "an act of cowardly violence," Orem police arrested an aggressive man who they say broke into a woman's home Sunday night and attacked the sleeping woman and her young child.
Rodolfo Villalobos Jr., 21, was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of attempted murder, aggravated burglary, child abuse, obstruction of justice and failing to disclose his identity.
About 11 p.m. Sunday, police were called to a house near 300 West and 600 North on a report of a home invasion. A man entered a house by breaking a window and then attacked a woman sleeping inside, "to the point she was choked unconscious and beaten with a PVC pipe," according to a police affidavit filed in 4th District Court.
When officers arrived, they found the woman's "emotionally traumatized" 4-year-old daughter with "blood on her face along with red marks and swelling," the affidavit states.
The young girl was not seriously injured, according to police.
As police searched the neighborhood, they found the man on the ground in front of a home near 450 North and 400 West. He resisted arrest, "saying he wanted an attorney or he wanted to be shot," the affidavit states.
Officers tried to calm the man down, placed him in handcuffs and attempted to put him into a patrol car. "However, he repeatedly began trying to fight officers in handcuffs and was taken back down to the ground until he could calm down," according to the report.
Once he arrived at the jail, he again resisted deputies and a Taser was deployed.
"The suspect male is very aggressive, noncompliant and (this officer) fears if this male is released he will harm anyone he comes in contact with," the arresting officer wrote. "The suspect male had no ties to the victims’ home (that the victims are aware of at this time) and the suspect male did not steal any items from the home.
"This was an act of cowardly violence against a mother of three children who was asleep and 4-year-old child. The suspect shows no remorse or feelings other than extreme anger, aggressiveness and hatred towards anyone who comes in contact with him."
Villalobos works in the area and police believe the house was chosen at random, said Orem Police Lt. Craig Martinez.
