Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
WEST VALLEY CITY — Criminal charges were filed Friday against a man accused of sexually assaulting a young girl who was petting farm animals on the property where he was living.
Yelsin Almonacid Canchari, 30, of West Valley City, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with rape of a child, sodomy on a child, two counts aggravated sexual abuse of a child and aggravated kidnapping, all first-degree felonies.
The investigation began June 18 when a 12-year-old girl told police that she was sexually abused by a "stranger."
The girl went to a nearby gas station after the attack and called her mother. The girl's mother took her to Primary Children's Hospital. At the hospital, the girl told police she regularly 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, according to a police booking affidavit.
On that day, she went into the goat pen and Canchari allegedly followed her. She says "Canchairi was talking to her, but she couldn't understand him because he was speaking Spanish. (She) told Canchari to leave her alone" and went to pet the horses, the charges state.
When she returned to the goat pen, Canchairi again followed, and this time locked the door behind him, grabbed the girl and sexually assaulted her, according to the charges. At some point during the assault, the girl said she "kicked Canchari in the upper thigh area, giving her enough time to unlock the pen and run away."
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 court documents.
