Mexican national living in Lehi charged with kidnapping and attempted rape

On Monday, July 15, The Utah County Attorney’s office charged a male Mexican national who had been living in Lehi with multiple felonies. 

Rene Cervantes-Medina, 37, has been charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, sexual battery, threat of violence, attempted rape and domestic violence. Along with these felony charges, Cervantes-Medina was also charged with theft, driving without a license, using plates registered to another vehicle and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

According to court records obtained by the Lehi Free Press, Cervantes-Medina owed the female victim money and asked her to go to the bank with him. Instead of driving the woman to the bank, he locked the car door and drove to American Fork Canyon. The victim then tried to escape the vehicle. 

According to charging documents, “The defendant chased her, grabbed her, and threw her on the ground where her head hit a rock, causing her to nearly pass out. The defendant covered her mouth with his hand for 15-20 seconds, making it difficult for her to breathe. While the victim was on the ground, the defendant tried to remove her shirt while he was touching her breasts and vagina.”

“The defendant tried to pull down her pants and ripped her underwear in the process. The victim told the defendant ‘no’ and continued to cry and yell, at which point he hit her in the face, causing her nose and lip to bleed,” continued the court records. 

Cervantes-Medina is being held in the Utah County Jail without bail and is also being held on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold.

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