Police: Couple tie up and rob Bountiful man

A boyfriend and girlfriend face four felonies each for allegedly choking a man in his Bountiful home, then robbing him while he spent the night duct-taped to a table.

Both the man, 19, and the woman, 18, were charged Monday in 2nd District Court with aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, theft and unlawful acquisition, possession or transfer of a financial transaction card. If convicted of the robbery or kidnapping charges, each could face up to life in prison.

About 8 p.m. on Jan. 7, the male suspect came to the victim's door and gained entrance after he mentioned a mutual acquaintance. Once inside, he let the woman in without the victim's knowledge, according to the charges.

But when the victim later found the woman hiding in the home, the two suspects choked him with a shoelace until he lost consciousness. After he woke up, they held him at knife point and duct-taped him to a table, charges add.

With their victim secured, police claim the couple took his debit card from his wallet, a cell phone, a MacBook laptop, external hard drive, jewelry, and several coats. They also forced him to write the woman a check for $1,100.

The two left in the morning, at which point the victim broke free from his restraints and called the police. When officers arrived, they found the shoelace still tied around his neck, as well as red marks and duct tape residue on his wrists and ankles.

Police also found a jacket and shoes in the home that did not belong to the victim. In the jacket pocket, was a hospital document bearing the male suspect's name. In addition, the check made out to the woman left an imprint of her real name on the check beneath it, police said.

Investigators later learned that the woman called some acquaintances the morning on Jan. 8, asking them to pick up her and her boyfriend at a location near the victim's home, with an offer to provide gas money.

Officers tracked the couple down and arrested them Jan. 11, before the woman cashed the check.

mmcfall@sltrib.comTwitter: @mikeypanda