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PROVO, Utah (AP) -- An American Fork man accused of kidnapping his girlfriend and threatening to kill her with a shotgun now is being investigated for possible witness tampering.
Dustin Dimmick, 25, has been charged with first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping and third-degree felony criminal mischief. A third-degree felony count of witness tampering is pending.
Dimmick, who was being held in the Utah County Jail on $50,000 cash-only bail, made an initial appearance Tuesday and his bail was raised to $100,000 cash-only.
According to a probable cause statement, Dimmick phoned his mother from the jail on Dec. 14 and asked her to contact several people to talk to his girlfriend.
The document said he apparently wanted his girlfriend talked into not testifying against him.
"Dimmick states that if (she) doesn't testify then they don't have a case against me," the investigator wrote in the statement.
The defendant's call was recorded by jail officials and forwarded to police investigators.
The charges allege Dimmick held the loaded shotgun twice to his girlfriend's forehead at their American Fork apartment, put it in his own mouth, and threatened to kill her if she tried to leave.
They also allege that he destroyed much of the woman's property in the apartment.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
