Suspect’s Identity Released In West Valley Abduction
Jan 27, 2020, 9:58 PM | Updated: Jan 28, 2020, 1:44 pm
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – The suspect accused of forcing of a 15-year-old girl from Hunter High School into his vehicle has been identified by police as 43-year-old Creed Cole Lujan of West Valley City.
Officials with the Unified Police Department said the abduction happened while the teen was on her way home from Hunter High School around 2:30 p.m. Monday in the area of 5500 West Lockwood Drive, just a few houses from her own home.
Granite School District spokesperson Ben Horsley spoke to the media early Tuesday morning as students arrived.
“These are good families, and this is a very sad circumstance,” said Horsley. “We’re grateful to get this perpetrator, this evil person off the streets as quick as possible.”
Sgt. Melody Gray said Lujan forced the teen old into his Silver Nissan Rouge. Investigators believe Lujan then took her to a home where he assaulted her.
“She’s very traumatized. You’ll see given his charges of aggravated assault, aggravated sexual assault, that it has been incredibly traumatizing,” said Gray.
Police have not confirmed whether the girl escaped or was let go.
Friends found her near the high school at 4200 South and 5600 West and called 911 about 4:45 p.m.
“He took her cell phone and threw it from the vehicle” said Gray. “Her phone was found on the street.”
Detectives were able to track her cell phone and started knocking doors. They made an arrest six hours later by going off the descriptions of the suspect, vehicle and house the teen provided.
Counselors have been on hand at the high school for any students who wanted to talk.
“We just want to wrap our arms around this family and support them in any way we can,” Horsley.
Lujan pleaded guilty to attempted murder in 2009 and an aggravated kidnapping charge was dropped as a result. He was sentenced to three years to life in the Utah State Prison and was released on parole in July 2015, according to Utah’s Pardons and Parole spokesman Jim Hatch. Lujan was still on parole when he was arrested Monday.
The Unified Police Department was called in to handle the case because the victim is related to a West Valley City Police officer.
