LOGAN — A 50-year-old Logan man was arrested Wednesday after police said he assaulted a woman, kidnapped an infant and demanded a $6,000 cash ransom for the child’s return three weeks later.
Renan A. Alvarez was booked into the Cache County Jail for investigation of multiple offenses, including aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, domestic violence in the presence of a child, property damage, and drug possession.
According to a police booking affidavit, the incident began on July 8 when Alvarez became frustrated while working from home. A woman at the residence attempted to calm him down, but Alvarez allegedly threw a cellphone at her and began strangling her. When the woman instructed a child in the room to call 911, Alvarez reportedly intercepted the call and broke the phone.
The affidavit states Alvarez then choked the woman a second time before fleeing to the garage with the infant. He allegedly told the woman, “If you don’t want me to hurt him, open the door,” before driving his vehicle through the garage door while holding the baby in his arms. The woman was subsequently hospitalized for her injuries, and officers later discovered drug paraphernalia in a bag Alvarez left behind.
For three weeks, Alvarez’s whereabouts remained unknown to law enforcement. On Wednesday, the victim contacted authorities after Alvarez allegedly used his personal cellphone to text and call her sister. Police said Alvarez threatened to flee the state with the infant unless he was given $6,000 in cash.
Investigators attempted to track Alvarez using cellphone GPS data, but officers spotted his vehicle in Logan before the telecommunications company responded to the warrant. Police then monitored a coordinated exchange at a designated location in Logan, where the woman traded the cash and Alvarez’s personal belongings for the safe return of the infant. Logan police officers moved in and apprehended Alvarez immediately following the transaction.
During police questioning, Alvarez denied strangling the woman and said he never threatened to harm the infant. However, court documents note that he admitted to using marijuana and driving away with the infant without using a child restraint device. Records also revealed Alvarez did not possess a valid driver’s license.
Alvarez remains held in custody without bail.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.