Two men entered into plea deals with Summit County prosecutors on Friday in separate kidnapping cases.
Matthew Christopher Hogel, 52, of Heber City, pleaded guilty to kidnapping, a second-degree felony, and aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, in Summit County’s Third District Court on Dec. 1. Prosecutors also charged Hogel with an additional count of assault in August, but it was dismissed as part of the agreement.
The charges stem from an incident on Nov. 26, 2021.
According to court documents, a woman who lived with Hogel returned to their home and noticed he was acting strangely. Hogel pulled a handgun from his pants and pointed it at the left side of the woman’s face. He told her he “would kill her and himself because he had nothing to live for.”
Hogel then dragged the woman to the garage. She was held against her will for five hours.
The woman attempted to scream for help, but Hogel covered her mouth with such force that her nose and mouth began to bleed. He then assaulted her by kicking her all over her body.
The woman was dragged by Hogel back into the bedroom of the home several hours later. He threw her onto the bed and locked the door from the outside, court documents stated. She was kept in the room and pretended to be asleep when Hogel checked on her.
The woman was eventually able to exit the room and flee the home after he left the residence. She sought medical care a few days later because of the pain she was in. Medical personnel diagnosed her with cracked ribs. The woman also documented her injuries, which showed bruising and swelling across her body.
Prosecutors said Hogel is subject to enhanced penalties because he violated a domestic violence-related plea agreement he entered in the Fourth District Court, which includes Wasatch County, in November 2019.
A second-degree felony carries a punishment of one to 15 years in prison. A court-appointed defense attorney representing Hogel requested he be released to a substance use and mental health treatment center such as the Huntsman Mental Health Institute or the Odyssey House once a bed is available.
Hogel is being held without bail. He is scheduled for sentencing at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2024.
A 32-year-old Arizona man similarly entered a no contest plea on the same day for kidnapping. He originally entered a not guilty plea in October. A no contest plea means the individual accepts the conviction without admitting guilt.
Mark Vincent Devine is accused of taking a 14-year-old girl from Park City to the Powderwood Condominiums in Kimball Junction, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said the girl told her mother she was spending the night at a friend’s house on Aug. 10, but she never showed up. The girl sent her mother an SOS message the next day asking for help. She provided coordinates to her location using GPS, which helped the Summit County Sheriff’s Office find her.
Devine told deputies there was no one else in the apartment and he was renting the unit from a friend. However, the girl had been texting Summit County Dispatch and said she heard knocking at the door. Deputies searched the condo and located the girl in the closet, court documents said. Suspected drugs and paraphernalia were also discovered in plain view.
The girl told deputies Devine picked her up and took her to McDonald’s. She couldn’t remember much after that except waking up in pain in the apartment.
Prosecutors had charged Devine with sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony, as well as possession of a controlled substance and use of drug paraphernalia, each a Class B misdemeanor. The charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement. A jury trial set to start on Dec. 18 was canceled.
Devine is also prohibited from having contact with minors following his sentencing, which is set for 11 a.m. on Jan. 12. He was released to a sober living facility in South Jordan.
Source: Park record
