LOGAN — A 44-year-old man has admitted to assaulting a Providence woman who was trying help him. Cesar Contreras-Guerrero has been in the Cache County Jail since being arrested Dec. 19, 2023.
According to court records, Contreras-Guerrero participated Monday, May 6, in Logan’s 1st District Court. He accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony; and, kidnapping, amended to a third-degree felony. As part of the agreement, prosecutors dismissed 6 remaining charges.
According to prosecutors, Cache County Sheriff’s deputies received a call from a 65-year-old woman on Nov. 18, 2023. She explained how she had allowed Contreras-Guerrero to stay at her apartment after learning he didn’t have a place to live. The woman said he was doing construction work nearby and she intended to only have him stay two nights but it turned into more than a month.
On the night she called deputies, the woman said Contreras-Guerrero had been consuming alcohol and smoking marijuana. He began accusing her of drinking some of his alcohol and became enraged.
The woman said Contreras-Guerrero confronted her in her bedroom and began striking her, kicking her in the leg and punching her in the mouth. He then pushed her backwards onto her bed and began strangling her, causing her to lose consciousness several times. The assault lasted around five minutes, deputies reported.
As the struggle continued, the victim said Contreras-Guerrero damaged her cellphone, so she couldn’t use it. He later went to the kitchen and returned with a knife, before sitting down in a chair by the door, keeping her from leaving.
The woman told deputies how Contreras-Guerrero started drifting off to sleep, allowing her to grab the knife and flee the apartment. She approached some neighbors, who were standing outside, telling them she needed help, before getting in her own vehicle and fleeing.
Contreras-Guerrero was seen on doorbell camera video leaving the apartment shortly after, carrying a suitcase to his vehicle and driving away. He later contacted the victim on social media, apologizing and expressing regret for what happened.
During Monday’s court hearing, Contreras-Guerrero was scheduled to be sentenced June 10. He remains in jail, being held without bail, and could face up to 20 years in prison.