Utah Man Wanted In 2016 Rape, Kidnapping Arrested In Mexico
May 4, 2021, 4:28 PM | Updated: 4:44 pm
(FILE photo KSL TV)
(FILE photo KSL TV)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A man who was charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman in West Valley City nearly five years ago has been arrested in Mexico.
The U.S. Marshals Service announced Tuesday that agents arrested 26-year-old Edgar Zepeda without incident in Ameca-Jalisco, Mexico on April 27.
He was flown to San Diego where he is awaiting extradition to Utah.
Zepeda, who used to live in Kearns, has been on the run since 2019 after he was charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault in Third District Court.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Zepeda was also wanted for a separate offense.
“An exhaustive investigation by the West Valley City Police that lasted almost three years led to the indictment. In 2018, Zepeda was arrested and provided law enforcement a DNA sample. The sample was later matched to the 2016 unsolved crime, and a warrant for his arrest was issue,” read a news release from the U.S. Marshals Service.
West Valley City police then referred the case to the U.S. Marshals Service and the Violent Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (FAST).
The marshals office and their international partners have been working tirelessly for the past 18 months.
In February 2021, the U.S. Marshals Service in Guadalajara, Mexico said they identified a possible location for Zepeda.
“This case illustrates the importance of law enforcement partnerships, both locally and globally, and the tenacity and persistence of our Deputy US Marshals. After nearly four and half years, due to the tireless efforts of Deputy US Marshals, a victim can now feel some comfort that justice will finally be served,” said Matthew D. Harris, United States Marshal for the District of Utah.
