WEST VALLEY CITY — Police say a West Valley man was driving around schools Monday before he forced a student walking home from Hunter High School into his car, then duct taped her and took her to his home where he drugged her and raped her.
Afterward, the man allegedly told the girl that he hopes God will forgive him.
Creed Cole Lujan, 43, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse of a child, rape, distribution of pornographic materials, two counts of aggravated assault, threat of violence and evidence tampering.
The 15-year-old student was walking home from school about 2:30 p.m. when Lujan drove up next to her and forced her into his car, said Unified Police Sgt. Melody Gray.
Investigators believe Lujan then took the girl to his house, 3542 S. 6555 West, where he assaulted her.
Police were first notified about 3:15 p.m. that the girl was missing when her mother called to report she had not returned home from school, which was unlike her daughter, according to a police affidavit.
The mother tracked her daughter’s cellphone to the area of 3618 S. 6470 West, and found it in the middle of the road, police say.
Officers canvassed the area where the phone was found. They located a doorbell camera that showed a vehicle pulling up to the girl.
“The driver of the vehicle is seen talking to (the girl) and then (she) got into the vehicle and it drove away,” according to the affidavit. “Other surveillance cameras show (the girl) running away after she was released. Other schools’ resource officers in the area stated the same vehicle is seen on the cameras circling around.”
Police found the girl about 4:15 p.m. “crying hysterically and running frantically through the area,” the affidavit states.
The girl told police that Lujan “pulled a knife and threatened to kill her if she did not get into the vehicle.”
After she got into the car, “the man laid the front seat all the way back and forced her to stay lying down on the seat and floor of the car. (She) said the man duct taped her hands and her feet together and put duct tape over her mouth. (She) said the man took her phone from her and then put gloves on and then wiped off the phone with some blue chemicals,” according to the police affidavit.
Lujan then took the girl to his house and made her take three pills to “relax” her, police wrote. Lujan allegedly agreed to let the girl go “by 3 p.m.” if she took the pills.
The girl said Lujan “photographed and videoed her, and then raped her,” according to the affidavit.
Afterward, “the man told her he had cancer and that he hoped God will forgive him.”
Police say the man then drove the girl to a bus stop and let her out.
When interviewed by investigators, the girl gave very detailed descriptions of Lujan’s house. When detectives later entered the home, they found Lujan’s bedroom was exactly as the girl had described it, the affidavit states. They found Lujan was in his bathroom shaving, apparently to alter his appearance, according to police.
Detectives have requested that Lujan be held in jail without bail.
“According to the victim, Creed had appeared to have several items, such as the cleaner and gloves to remove any prints from the phone that he took from her. The vehicle matching Creed’s vehicle circling other schools in the same area that the victim was abducted in, being a clear danger to the community if Creed is released on bail,” the affidavit states.
In 2009, Lujan pleaded guilty to attempted murder in 3rd District Court in exchange for a charge of aggravated kidnapping being dismissed. At that time, police say Lujan attempted to kill a hotel housekeeper at the Crystal Inn in West Valley City by grabbing her neck and choking her until she was unconscious.
He was sentenced to three years to life in the Utah State Prison, according to court records. He was released on parole in January 2015, according to the Utah Department of Corrections.