Orem man accused of holding girlfriend captive, beating her for hours

OREM – Investigators call it a “12-hour nightmare.”  An Orem man is booked on many charges after police say he held his girlfriend captive and beat her until she was able to escape.

The probable cause statement says Majed Saleh started abusing his girlfriend after she turned him down for sex.  He reportedly bound her with things like socks and towels, and beat her with whatever he could.  Orem Police Lieutenant Craig Martinez says, “His hands, his feet, a baseball bat, you name it… if it was at his disposal, it wasn’t off-limits to him.”

Saleh also is accused of sexually assaulting his girlfriend and threatening her with a knife.  Martinez says Saleh claimed he had a gun, but never showed it.  After about 12 hours, the victim was able to get away.  “After being on a drug binge for that entire time, he passed out.  She was able to wiggle out and escape,” Martinez says.

The victim ran to her parents’ home, where she called police.  Martinez says they went to Saleh’s apartment, and found evidence that backed up her story.  Saleh came outside without resisting police and was booked into jail.  “We’re looking at aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, domestic violence, aggravated sexual assault, manufacture and cultivation of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute,” Martinez says.

The victim was taken to the hospital with facial injuries.  The probable cause statement says she had a broken nose and a fracture that went into her cheekbone.