Charges: Utah man terrorized, tortured girlfriend and her son

SANDY — A man who police say tortured his girlfriend for several days — at times in front of her young son — and threatened to kill her before cutting her with a knife, now faces numerous criminal charges.

Charles Oshodi, 34, of Sandy, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with aggravated kidnapping and child kidnapping, both first-degree felonies; aggravated assault, a second-degree felony; domestic violence in the presence of a child, possession of a weapon by a restricted person, assault on a police officer and aggravated assault, all third-degree felonies; and reckless endangerment and spitting at an officer, both class A misdemeanors.

"For multiple days, (Oshodi) terrorized the victim and threatened to kill her multiple times. (He) strangled the victim, drove over 100 mph on the freeway, and held a box cutter to her throat multiple times. When officers arrived at their residence on March 20, (he) made good on his promise and stabbed the victim in the face and chest," according to charging documents.

Oshodi was arrested on March 20 when police received a 911 call and the caller then hung up. Officers still responded to the area of 650 East and 7800 South, and when they found the house where the call was placed could hear a woman screaming inside, the charges state. Officers entered and found a 9-year-old boy by the entry and saw both Oshodi and the woman with blood on them.

As detectives began piecing together what had happened, they learned that Oshodi and the woman had multiple incidents of domestic violence throughout their relationship, which began in July of last year, but "she has never reported the incidents because (Oshodi) has threatened to kill her upon his release from jail," according to the charges.

Most recently, on March 17, the woman said Oshodi wrapped a phone cord around her neck "and lifted up" for several seconds, preventing her from breathing, the charges state.

On March 19, the woman and her son were in a car with Oshodi when he began to drive over 100 mph "and told them they were going to die," the charges state. He then threw the woman's phone out of the window.

The woman and her son stayed at a hotel that night because Oshodi did not allow them in the house, the charges state. But later, he contacted her and asked her to take him to the hospital. When the woman was back in the car with Oshodi, he instead drove to a store and bought a shotgun "and warned her not to raise suspicions," the charges state.

After they got back to the house in Sandy, Oshodi barricaded the front door with a chair, turned off all the lights in the house "and held a knife in his hand for approximately four hours" while she sat on a chair in the kitchen, the charges state. While holding the knife, Oshodi "repeatedly jumped towards her saying he was 'just going to do it,'" according to the charges. All of this was done in front of the woman's son.

The woman's son was eventually able to call 911, but then hung up the phone. His mother was stabbed in the nose and chest by the time police arrived and required multiple staples and stitches to close each wound.

Prosecutors say Oshodi also has "an extensive criminal history" in Michigan, including a weapons offense in 2016 and domestic violence conviction in 2013.

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