A man from California is currently held without bail in Salt Lake County Jail, accused of kidnapping his girlfriend. Jhony Efrain Sanchez Macha, 27, faces charges including felony kidnapping and six counts of possessing forged documents.
According to West Valley City Police, Macha and the 21-year-old victim were in a relationship while living in California. The victim now resides in Utah.
Police spokesperson Roxeanne Vainuku stated that Macha allegedly deceived the victim into entering his vehicle in Utah. Despite her attempts to leave, Macha reportedly refused to stop. The victim managed to contact her family, sending them photos of her location as Macha drove.
Upon receiving the alert, the victim’s family contacted authorities, who located Macha’s car near I-15 in Lehi with the help of Utah Highway Patrol. The case was then handed over to West Valley City Police.
Authorities recovered evidence suggesting Macha intended to take the victim back to California against her will. Thankfully, the victim was unharmed.
Detectives also found forged permanent residency and social security cards in Macha’s possession. Homeland Security Investigators confirmed their falsity and discovered Macha was in the U.S. on an expired visa.
According to documents, Macha admitted to police that he couldn’t bear to be without his girlfriend and expressed a likelihood of kidnapping her again if released.