Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — A 32-year-old man has been charged with aggravated kidnapping, a first degree felony, for allegedly holding his girlfriend and five-month-old baby in their apartment against her will for three days.
Troy Critchfield, of Salt Lake City, began drinking heavily on Nov. 13 and became angry, according to charging documents filed Thursday in 3rd District Court. When his girlfriend attempted to leave, he threatened to kill her and her family if she left. He kept the woman and infant in the apartment from Nov. 13 to 16, and continued to "drink and 'beat' the woman," charges state.
When Critchfield caught the woman sending text messages to his mother, he broke her cell phone.
The woman was able to leave the apartment with their baby on Nov. 16. She sought medical treatment at an area hospital where she was treated for contusions on her face, ribs, arms and legs, according to police. While at the hospital, she alerted police of Critchfield's actions, and authorities went to the apartment located near 500 North and Main Street.
When officers knocked, Critchfield refused to come to the door, according to charging documents, and yelled at officers to "shoot me," "taze me," "I'll ...cut you...gut you...kill you... have war with you." He barricaded himself in the home and officers tried to negotiate with him according Salt Lake City police. SWAT teams eventually deployed tear gas, and the man surrendered. During negotiations, the apartment complex was evacuated.
In addition to kidnapping, Critchfield was charged with aggravated assault and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child, both third-degree felonies. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Wednesday night.
E-mail: mfarmer@desnews.com
