Man arrested for allegedly kidnapping 13-year-old and running over her relatives in Utah

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (ABC4) — An 18-year-old man was arrested Saturday after allegedly kidnapping a 13-year-old girl, failing to help her out of her car and running over her relative.

Joseph Daniel Genovez was arrested on four separate felony charges, including child abduction, failure to appear at an accident involving serious injury, aggravated assault and rape of a child, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Third District Court.

According to arrest documents, officers initially responded to reports of a “possible kidnapping” after a relative of the 13-year-old said the child had been “abducted by an unknown male in a vehicle.”

According to the documents, relatives of the girl asked Genovez to let her out of the car, and witnesses told officers he did not stop the car and did not let the girl get out. Genovez allegedly “intentionally ran over” another of the girl’s relatives and fled the scene with the 13-year-old in the car, the documents say.

“The victim was transported to a local hospital and later transferred to a larger hospital due to injuries sustained from being hit by a car,” the documents state.

When the 13-year-old was tracked down, she told police that Genovez had “performed unlawful sexual acts with her,” according to arrest documents.

Genovez later admitted he knew the girl was underage. He said he fled the scene because he was afraid the relative he ran over had a gun, but officials said the relative was found “with nothing but a cellphone in his possession.”

The arrest records indicate that the victim is a minor and incapable of giving consent.