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WEST VALLEY CITY — A man was arrested Tuesday after police say he sexually assaulted a young girl who was petting farm animals on the property where he was living.
Yelsin Almonacid Canchari, 30, who is originally from Peru, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of rape of a child, sodomy on a child and two counts of forcible sexual abuse.
The investigation began on June 18 when a girl, under the age of 13, called 911 from a West Valley gas station to report she had been raped, according to a police booking affidavit. The girl's mother then picked her up and took her to Primary Children's Hospital.
At the hospital, the girl told police that she sometimes walks to the area of 4050 South and 3200 West where the property owner has given her permission to play with the goats whenever she wants.
On this day, she said she walked past a man, later identified as Canchari, who lives at the house and is often seen sitting in a truck parked next to the residence, the affidavit states.
"(She) stated Yelsin yelled something to her in Spanish that she did not understand so she continued to the goat pen to play with the goats. Yelsin followed (the girl) into the pen where he continued to speak in Spanish. (She) told Yelsin to leave her alone, then continued to play with the goats," according to the affidavit.
After the girl went to see the horses, she walked back to the goat pen and Canchari followed her. At that time, Canchari locked the pen door and sexually assaulted the girl, the affidavit alleges. Police say the girl kicked Canchari in the upper thigh area, unlocked the pen and ran to a gas station to call 911 as Canchari chased after her.
Investigators collected DNA samples from the girl and the six men who lived in the house. In December, DNA test results were returned from the Utah State Crime Lab and matched with Canchari, according to police.
