Two men arrested in connection with West Jordan hostage situation

SALT LAKE CITY — Two men have been arrested in connection to a hostage situation in West Jordan, where four people were held hostage.

Carlos Montalavan, 34, and Victor Cruz, 33, were indicted in the third district court for a total of 20 charges, including aggravated assault, intoxication, and aggravated kidnapping.

According to the indictment, Montalavan’s girlfriend, listed as a victim in the case, instructed Montalvan and Cruz to leave after the pair had been drinking all day.

After being told to leave, Montalvan and Cruz fired shots, and the two instructed the four hostages that “if anyone tried to leave, they’d die,” the document said.

After officers surrounded the building, the four victims, including Montalavan’s girlfriend, were removed and the house was searched. In that search, officers found 133 grams of marijuana, a Glock handgun, and shell casings from the gun.

Carlos Montalvan is booked into the Salt Lake County jail on nine charges, including;

• four counts of aggravated kidnapping, a third-degree felony;
• aggravated assault, a third-degree felony;
• felony discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony;
• use of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony;
• possession of a controlled substance, a class B misdemeanor, and;
• intoxication, a class C misdemeanor.

Victor Cruz was booked into the Salt Lake County jail on a total of eleven charges, including;

• four counts of aggravated kidnapping, a third-degree felony;
• aggravated assault, a third-degree felony;
• three charges of felony discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony;
• use of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony;
• threat of violence, a class B misdemeanor, and;
• intoxication, a class C misdemeanor.

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If you or someone you know is going through abuse, help is available.

• The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465).
• Resources are also available online at the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition website.
• YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600
• Utah’s statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233