Man who kidnapped boys going to prison

A man convicted of kidnapping three kids he believed spray painted an obscenity on the side of his new car was sentenced Friday to up to 15 years in prison.

Juan Estephan Lopez, 21, intended to hold the three boys ransom to recoup the cost of repairing his vandalized vehicle but was later charged with three counts of first-degree felony kidnapping. In June, as the result of a plea bargain agreement, Lopez pleaded guilty to one second-degree count of felony kidnapping.

In 3rd District Court proceedings, a mother of one of the boys testified against Lopez, who is in the country illegally, saying her son continues to be frightened by what happened to him on June 30. Lopez was found guilty of tracking down the 11-year-old boys at different locations and forcing them into his car, according to court documents.

Lopez, who lives in Salt Lake City, drove to an auto body shop and made a call to the mother of one of the boys, demanding $1,000 before he would let the boys go. He was later pulled over for a traffic violation.

Although an attorney asked that Lopez be placed on probation, Judge Judith Atherton sentenced him to one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison. Lopez was also ordered to pay court fees.

— Wendy Leonard