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SOUTH SALT LAKE — Police believe a 19-year-old woman is the victim of an attempted sexual assault after attending a party with friends.
On Jan. 3, the woman said she woke up at approximately 1 a.m. next to a large tree near a church in the area of 1585 W. 2640 South in West Valley City. The night before, she remembers drinking a glass of water at a friend's going-away party before her memory started to fade, according to South Salt Lake police officer Gary Keller.
When the woman woke up she saw that she still had her car keys, but her car was nowhere to be found. She called a friend to pick her up and reported her car missing to Salt Lake City police.
Ten days after waking up near the church, a friend called to ask why her car was parked at the Maverik Country Store (3260 S. West Temple) in South Salt Lake. The car was covered in snow and had been parked at the Maverik since the night of Jan. 2.
Keller said they believe the woman was not sexually assaulted, but there were signs of an attempted sexual assault. He said investigators do not know if the woman had been drugged or if she was under the influence of some substance at the time of her memory loss.
She's definitely impaired to the point where she doesn't know or remember what's actually taking place.
–Gary Keller, South Salt Lake police
The store's video surveillance shows a man transferring the woman into his vehicle, Keller said.
"He puts the victim in the back seat of her car, pulls the car around and parks it," Keller said. "(He) then pulls his car next to hers and moves her from her car into his car.
"She's definitely impaired to the point where she doesn't know or remember what's actually taking place," he added.
The man is described as a 30- to 40-year-old Hispanic man, with possibly a mustache or goatee. He had short hair and a large build. He was last seen wearing a yellow ball cap, a green and white flannel jacket with a dark hood, blue jeans and brown work boots. Keller said he was driving a maroon Ford Expedition with chrome wheels and chrome body trim.
Individuals with any information about the case are asked to contact South Salt Lake Police at 801-840-4000.
Video contribution: Jennifer Stagg
