FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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SLCPD Investigating Domestic Violence Kidnapping, Suspect in Custody

SALT LAKE CITY — Today, officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department safely arrested a 51-year-old man for allegedly holding a woman against her will in the Yalecrest neighborhood.

This investigation started at 9:38 a.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2024, when SLC911 received a call about a suspicious circumstance involving a woman reportedly involved in a domestic violence situation.

Officers and a sergeant with the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Liberty Patrol Division started looking into the case and learned the woman may have been in immediate danger.

During the investigation, officers learned the suspect, Daymian Martiez Hughes, took the woman’s keys and phone and prevented her from leaving a home, located near 1500 East Laird Avenue.

Officers responded to the home and locked down the area.

Officers started negotiations, but Hughes refused to come out and would not let the woman leave the home.

The on-scene incident commander requested the assistance from the Salt Lake City Police Department’s SWAT Team.

An Emergency Action Team (EAT), consisting of patrol officers who also serve as SWAT officers, set up on the house in the event officers needed to rapidly deploy to intervene during a life-threatening emergency.

After several attempts to get Hughes to surrender, he finally released the woman and then exited.

Officers with the EAT safely took him into custody just as additional SWAT team members started arriving.

The woman told officers Hughes prevented her from leaving and that she feared for her safety.

Officers booked Hughes into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on charges that include kidnapping, damaging or interfering with a communications device, and interfering with a peace officer.

Charges are only allegations, and every arrested person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Salt Lake City Police Department is not the custodian of record for jail booking photos. Utah Code 17-22-30 mostly prohibits the release of jail booking photos. Generally, a jail booking photo can only be released by the custodian of record after a conviction or when law enforcement determines the person is a fugitive or an imminent threat to a person or public safety. In Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office is the custodian of record for jail booking photos.

The Salt Lake City Police Department’s Domestic Violence Squad plays a crucial role in addressing domestic violence incidents within our community. The Salt Lake City Police Department recognizes domestic violence, to include intimate partner violence and family violence, are serious public safety issues that need a coordinated response. Comprised of specially trained detectives, the squad’s primary focus is to respond to and investigate cases of domestic violence with sensitivity and thoroughness. SLCPD DV detectives help to ensure survivors are treated with care, respect, and empathy while collecting evidence and building cases against offenders. By holding defendants of domestic violence accountable for their actions, the squad helps break the cycle of abuse and promotes safety and well-being for survivors and their families. Additionally, detectives often collaborate with community organizations, prosecutors, and support services to provide survivors with access to resources and assistance they may need during such challenging times.

The Salt Lake City Police Department reminds our community of the resources available to support survivors of domestic violence in Utah.

·       Utah Department of Human Services: Domestic Violence Services

·       Utah Domestic Violence Coalition

The Salt Lake City Police Department encourages anyone who has experienced domestic violence to call 801-799-3000 and ask to speak with a Victim Advocate or call their 24-hour hotline directly at 801-580-7969. All services are free, and callers can get information anonymously.

No photos are available for release.

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