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SALT LAKE CITY — A man already accused of trying to sexually assault two women at massage parlors at gunpoint has now been linked to a terrifying random assault in Salt Lake City involving a woman who was walking down the street about two weeks earlier, police say.
Jeffrey Gerald Kirby, 32, of Kearns, is already facing charges of aggravated sexual assault, possession of a gun by a restricted person, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping and lewdness, for incidents at two massage parlors in July.
On Tuesday, these additional charges were filed against Kirby: aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony; aggravated assault resulting in serious injury, a second-degree felony; plus aggravated assault and illegal discharge of a firearm, third-degree felonies.
Police say on July 4 — 11 days before the incidents at the massage businesses — a woman was walking on Main Street between 800 South and 900 South late at night when Kirby pulled up next to her in a car. Kirby asked the woman "where she was going tonight and if she wanted to hang out, or if she had plans."
The woman, who was wearing yoga pants and a tank top, told Kirby, "I'm not a prostitute. I'm just going to meet some friends," to which Kirby responded by saying, "Dressed like that?" according to charging documents.
Police say Kirkby blocked the woman's way and pulled up his shirt to expose a gun in his waistband. The woman didn't react, "so the driver pulled out the gun and held it at her chest, pointing it at her and he said, 'Get in the car,'" the charges state. "(The woman) told him he was going to have to shoot her because she was not going anywhere with him, at which point he moved the gun up toward the sky and fired one round from the gun."
Kirby then grabbed the woman and started pulling her toward the car as she screamed, the charges state, adding that he hit her on the back of her head and face with the gun. The woman, fearing she was losing consciousness, dropped to the ground and tried to dig her boots into the ground to prevent him from dragging her into the car.
"(She) said at this point the driver had her by the hair and was pulling, but she continued yelling. (The woman) saw a vehicle approaching and it was at that time the driver let go of her and he started to run back toward his vehicle," according to the charges. Police say the woman suffered several facial fractures in addition to other injuries.
Salt Lake police say they collected a shell casing at the scene from the shot Kirby fired into the air. After he was arrested and accused of the July 15 sexual assaults at gunpoint at the massage parlors, detectives searched his home and found a gun in his bedroom. That gun was forensically tested and matched the casing recovered on July 4, the charges allege. In addition, investigators say the vehicle he was driving that day matched the vehicle used in the other incidents.
Prosecutors have requested that Kirby continue to be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without having the possibility of posting bail, noting that in addition to his charges in Utah, he "has an extensive criminal history out of … California for prostitution, multiple drug and alcohol charges," as well as a charge of threatening "to shoot a woman for not shutting the laundry room door."
