A late-night car crash in South Salt Lake has turned into a major sex assault case, with police saying DNA evidence led them to a 36-year-old man now sitting in the Salt Lake County Jail.
Investigators allege that after the crash, the woman involved went looking for help along State Street, where two men in a silver sedan pulled up, offered assistance, then forced her into their vehicle and sexually assaulted her. Authorities have identified the suspect as 36-year-old Luis Miguel Perez Cifuentes, who has been booked on allegations that include rape, forcible sodomy, and forcible sexual abuse.
According to ABC4, the woman told police she had been driving to pick up a cell phone she had left at a bar when she crashed her car at about 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 26, 2024. She then walked to a nearby convenience store and onto State Street to look for help. Officers say two men in a silver sedan stopped and offered assistance. One of them allegedly climbed into the backseat with her and engaged the child-safety lock so she could not open the door.
The woman underwent a sexual-assault exam the following day. Investigators later submitted DNA evidence from that exam to the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS. Police say the database returned a hit on Dec. 26, 2025, linking the sample to Cifuentes.
As ABC4 reported, South Salt Lake detectives tracked down Cifuentes and brought him in for questioning. He initially denied knowing the victim, according to police, but after investigators presented the DNA findings, he allegedly admitted meeting her while doing deliveries and claimed the encounter had been consensual. He remains in custody while detectives continue their work. ABC4 noted that charges are allegations and that arrested individuals are presumed innocent.
How CODIS Produced the Lead
The Combined DNA Index System lets accredited crime laboratories compare DNA profiles from evidence against offender and forensic databases to flag potential matches, the FBI explains. Local labs must complete confirmation steps before a hit is released to investigators. When validated, a match can link DNA from a crime scene to a known offender or connect multiple cases.
Legal Status and What Happens Next
Police say the case is still active and under investigation. Prosecutors will review the evidence and determine whether to file formal charges. The booking information and allegation details will be part of the file the district attorney's office examines as it weighs the next steps.
South Salt Lake police are asking anyone who may have information related to the case to contact investigators through the department's nonemergency line or other official law-enforcement channels. This story will be updated as officials release additional details.
