LOGAN — A 29-year-old Salt Lake City man is being held in jail, accused of kidnapping a Logan woman and holding her against her will. Tony Ngoy Bokomba was booked into the Cache County Jail Tuesday, after law enforcement tracked him and the alleged victim to a Nibley park.
According to an arrest report, the alleged victim’s father called 911 dispatch operators Tuesday evening, expressing concern about his daughter. He claimed the woman was possibly traveling through Sardine Canyon with Bokomba, who she had previously had a relationship with.
The caller said he had talked to his daughter briefly on the phone and she had yelled for him to call the police. He explained how the alleged victim had reported previous incidents of domestic violence with the suspect and that she could possibly be in danger.
Dispatch operators attempted to call and text the woman’s cell phone. They later received a text reply stating “no thank you.” The phone was pinged to several locations in Cache County, according to the affidavit.
Law enforcement eventually tracked the suspect’s vehicle to Gibbons Heritage Park, where Cache County Sheriff’s deputies and Utah Highway Patrol troopers responded. They found Bokomba and the alleged victim inside the car.
The woman told a trooper how the suspect had allegedly become upset with her, accusing her of cheating on him. He took her phone and allegedly used it to send the reply to dispatch earlier in the evening. When she had tried to leave, he kept her against her will and began driving toward Sardine Canyon.
The trooper learned that Bokomba is currently out of jail on pretrial release for another case in Logan involving domestic issues. The alleged victim claimed the suspect had used a weapon to threaten her. He had also previously tried to choke her, and would spy on and control her daily activities.
Bokomba was arraigned Wednesday afternoon in 1st District Court, appearing by web conference from jail. He was charged with kidnapping, a second-degree felony; obstructing justice, a third-degree felony; and damaging a communication device, a class B misdemeanor.
Court records show, Bokomba already has two other cases of domestic abuse and violating court orders. He could face up to 15 years in prison, if convicted in the latest case.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
If you or someone you know is going through abuse, help is available. CAPSA is a nonprofit domestic violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking support center serving Cache, Rich, and Franklin Counties. CAPSA’s 24-hour support phone line is 435-753-2500. For more information visit: www.capsa.org.
will@cvradio.com