Blackfoot man charged with kidnapping, assaulting and strangling a woman

BLACKFOOT — A local man was charged after a woman alleged he had beaten her, taken her phone, strangled her and threatened to kill her.

Dan Cruz Regalado, 20, was charged with second-degree kidnapping, attempted strangulation and aggravated assault, all felonies.

If Regalado is found guilty, he faces up to 45 years in prison. An enhancement charge was also filed for the use of a deadly weapon, which could add 15 years to the total.

According to court documents, an officer with the Blackfoot Police Department was dispatched on March 29 and spoke to three individuals, one of them being the female victim.

The initial call to dispatch was for an unwanted man, later identified as Regalado, who had attempted to get through a sliding glass door to talk with the victim.

One of the individuals told Regalado that the victim was not interested in talking with him, and she told the officer the man didn’t take no for an answer.

The man had left before the officer’s arrival.

The officer said the woman’s face had cuts and bruises and asked her about her injuries. She said Regalado caused them from March 27 to March 29.

The victim was at the man’s home when she alleged that Regalado had taken her phone without her permission and had found something he did not like.

The documents state that during those days, Regalado had assaulted the victim, strangled her, kicked her in the head, made threats of killing her and held her at knifepoint with a box cutter as they drove down Rich Lane to the Blackfoot River.

The two returned to Regalado’s home, where the woman told the officer the man had told her to shower so she could “die clean.”

Regalado fell asleep, which allowed her to get her phone and sneak out.

The document states officers went to Regalado’s home, and he was placed under arrest on March 31.

After being read his Miranda rights, Regalado asked if this was about the incident with the victim, which the officers confirmed.

Regalado was asked if he had gotten physical with the victim, and he allegedly responded he had. He also denied having a box cutter on him and stopped answering questions.

Officers spoke with the victim once again and documented her injuries.

The documents detailed that there was significant bruising on her arms and shoulders, a bruise above her right eye, fingertip-like bruises on her neck, and bruising on her back.

Regalado is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing with Magistrate Judge James Howard Barrett Jr. at 8:30 a.m. April 10.

Though Regalado has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.