CEDAR CITY — A 27-year-old Ohio man who allegedly kidnapped a 15-year-old girl in California and was reportedly on his way back home was arrested at a truck stop in Cedar City on Wednesday night.
Ryan Gary Patch was booked into Iron County Jail on suspicion of aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony, child endangerment, a third-degree felony, and two misdemeanor counts related to possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
According to the probable cause statement filed in support of Patch’s arrest, dispatchers in Cedar City received a telephone call Wednesday evening from the girl’s parents in San Diego, who reported that their daughter had been taken from their home at 2 a.m. that morning without their consent, allegedly by a man named Ryan whom she had met online.
“The parents told dispatch that their daughter was in communication with them and was able to give them a description of her location,” the responding UHP trooper wrote, noting that the stated location was at the Love’s Travel Plaza at the north end of Cedar City.
The trooper arrived at the truck stop to find the suspect vehicle, a black Honda Civic, parked behind the building.
“I observed a juvenile female in the back seat and a male in the front seat, reclined back, and appeared to be sleeping,” the trooper wrote, adding that the man woke up when the trooper arrived.
Both occupants of the Honda were then taken into custody for questioning, the affidavit states.
“Once the suspect and the victim were separated, the victim was transported to the Children’s Justice Center for an interview,” the affidavit notes, later adding that the girl declined to participate in the interview.
Nevertheless, investigators were able to verify the girl’s identity and match it to the reported kidnapping out of San Diego.
“We confirmed that she was only 15 years old and, during a record check, found a missing person hit on NCIC,” the trooper wrote in the affidavit.
Meanwhile, two agents with the State Bureau of Investigation interviewed Patch who reportedly told them he had been initially suspicious that the girl might be underage and asked her for identification, which she was not able to provide.
“He admitted that while they were traveling through Nevada, the juvenile told him that she was only 15 years old,” the affidavit alleges, adding, “Instead of contacting the authorities or taking the juvenile home, he continued to drive further away from her house and parents.”
Investigators also obtained a search warrant for the vehicle, which was seized and taken into evidence.
“The warrant was granted and the vehicle was searched,” the affidavit states. “During the search, we located marijuana vape cartridges well within the reach of the juvenile. We also located a knife in the center console in reach of the driver.”
After being questioned, Patch was booked into jail at 3:22 a.m. Thursday, where he continues to be held without bail as he awaits his initial court appearance.
Meanwhile, the 15-year-old girl was reportedly taken into the custody of Utah Division of Child and Family Services, pending the arrival of her parents to take her home.
This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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