- A Wyoming man, Clint Stephen Peterson, 37, faces kidnapping charges in Utah.
- Peterson allegedly took two women against their will from Evanston to Morgan.
MORGAN — A Wyoming man was charged Tuesday with taking two women against their will to Morgan County before they were able to escape. He was arrested following a 40-minute standoff with police.
Clint Stephen Peterson, 37, of Evanston, is charged in 2nd District Court with two counts of kidnapping, a second-degree felony; drug possession, a class A misdemeanor; making a threat of violence, interfering with police and possessing drug paraphernalia, class B misdemeanors; and giving false information to police, driving on a suspended or revoked license and not having vehicle insurance, class C misdemeanors.
The investigation began about 3 a.m. Monday at a gas station in Morgan, when a woman "approached deputies at a fast pace and appeared to be in distress. She stated she did not feel safe and was involved in a dangerous situation," according to charging documents.
The woman told police she and a second woman were driven by Peterson from Evanston to Utah and that Peterson "would not let her or (the other) female victim out of the vehicle or return to Wyoming," the charges state.
The woman told deputies that Peterson and the second victim were in a Ford F-150 parked at a business near the gas station. Deputies located the truck, but said the occupants would not exit even after being given commands over a public announcement system.
The woman eventually was able to exit the vehicle and approached the deputies.
"The second victim confirmed that Clint was still barricaded in the vehicle and was being told by Clint that she could not exit the vehicle," the charges allege. "The victims reported that Clint began making irrational statements and would not drive them to their friend's house (in Wyoming). The victims reported that Clint drove them over state lines into Utah without their consent. One victim reported that she told Clint to pull the vehicle over and let her out, but Clint stated he would not and refused to stop. It was reported that Clint was driving at a high rate of speed, turning the headlights on and off, and taking random roads to get to Morgan. One victim reported that Clint asked her if she wanted to go home and die because that is what was going to happen."
Additional deputies were called and a standoff ensued for 40 minutes.
"After negotiations over the phone, Clint was successfully taken into custody without incident," according to the charges, which also say Peterson refused to give police his name or tell them where he lived and then gave them a false Social Security number.
"Deputies conducted a search of the vehicle, and in the bed of the truck, a crystal-like substance was found, which appeared to be meth. Multiple pipes with residue were located, along with other items of paraphernalia," court documents say.
According to police, "Clint is a cohabitant intimate partner with the two victims in this case."
