- A Payson man, Abel Torres, 54, faces charges of kidnapping, assault and threats.
- He allegedly tried to abduct a 15-year-old girl near the Homestead Resort.
- Torres was intoxicated, resisted arrest, and assaulted a security guard during the incident, according to police.
MIDWAY — A Payson man was charged Monday with trying to kidnap a 15-year-old girl near the Homestead Resort.
Abel Torres, 54, is charged in 4th District Court with kidnapping, a second-degree felony; assault and making a threat of violence, class B misdemeanors; and intoxication, a class C misdemeanor.
On Sunday, Wasatch County sheriff's deputies responded to a fight in the parking lot at Midway's Homestead Resort
"Upon arrival, deputies found four males who were in a verbal altercation with one another along with a security guard who was attempting to separate the parties," according to a police booking affidavit.
As deputies tried to figure out what had happened, they learned that a 15-year-old girl was sitting in a truck, waiting for her brother-in-law, who was working on a job site near the resort. Deputies noted that the teen "was visibly shaking and appeared to be in fear" when they talked to her.
When she got out of the truck to look for her brother-in-law, she was confronted by Torres, the affidavit states.
"She stated that he then asked her to go with him, to which she stated 'no.' She then stated that he attempted to then grab her by the hand and began to try to pull her to the vehicle he had come out of. She was then able to break free, and once freed, he then attempted to slap her in her face," according to the affidavit.
The girl got back into the truck she had come out of and locked the doors. She then made a video call to a 15-year-old friend.
"While still on the phone, the witness informed us about what she had observed, and it corroborated with the victim's statement," the affidavit says.
Torres told deputies he was with a friend to see the Homestead Crater. The friend told investigators he left Torres alone to check the crater's hours of operation, and when he returned, "he observed Abel out of the vehicle and near a truck, where he then observed Abel speaking to a young girl. He stated that he attempted to get Abel to come back to the vehicle, which he did not, and continued to speak to the girl. He then left because his friend was not listening to him," according to the affidavit.
The girl eventually found her brother-in-law and told him what had happened, prompting the brother-in-law and his friend to go looking for Torres.
"(Torres) got in their faces and they could tell that he reeked of alcohol and was drunk. (They) then waved down a security guard who came over to assist," the affidavit states. "(The guard) stated that while attempting to separate the parties, a male — who was identified as (Torres) — refused to comply and was pushing him. He stated that (Torres) continued to yell racial slurs and obscenities, along with statements that he was going to kill them. (Torres) then got close again and punched (the security guard) multiple times in the stomach with a closed fist."
After talking to witnesses, Torres was arrested and booked into the Wasatch County Jail.
