
A truck driver was taken into custody during a routine inspection on Sunday after officers discovered he had warrants out for his arrest due to allegations of rape.
The truck driver was arrested on February 11th in St. George, Utah.
54-year-old Thorpe Steele was at the Utah-Arizona port of entry undergoing a routine inspection of his rig when, upon checking his ID, Arizona officials became aware of two outstanding warrants out for Steele’s arrest. The officials then contacted Utah police and Steele was taken into custody, reported St. George News.
According to the victim’s statement of probable cause filed in Salt Lake County in October of 2017, the incident happened on July 3rd, 2017, at the CR England facility in Salt Lake County.
The victim, who was a truck driver trainee, says Steele was showing her the inside of his truck when he allegedly forced her into sleeper berth area and showed her several knives. He then allegedly forced his hand down her pants, threw her on the bed and advised her that “what happens in the truck stays in the truck,” and demanded she undress. When she refused, he told her that “no was not an option,” and grabbed her hair before forcing her to take off her clothes. She says he then locked the truck, closed the blinds and pinned her to the bed while he sexually assaulted her.
Following his arrest, Steele, who has no prior criminal history, claimed that the sex was consensual.
Steele has since been charged with one count of rape and one count of forcible sodomy, both first degree felonies, and has already been booked into the Purgatory Correctional Facility. His bail has been set at $200,000.