A Utah State Prison inmate — who is currently serving prison time for sexually assaulting a woman in 2010 — has been charged with a similar attack from the same year, based on DNA testing.
David Zachary Swigart, 53, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court two counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of rape, all first-degree felonies punishable by up to life in prison. He also is one count of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse.
On Sept. 16, 2010, Swigart began following a woman who was walking to a Salt Lake County bus stop, telling her he had a gun and threatening to kill her if she did not go to a nearby parking lot with him, charges state.
Behind a nearby business, Swigart took the woman to the ground with a choke hold and raped her, charges state. He then ran away.
DNA evidence gathered during a sexual assault examination was recently matched to Swigart, charges state. It is unclear whether the evidence is the result of new testing of backlogged rape kits.
A $250,000 arrest warrant has been issued for Swigart, who is currently housed at the Utah State Prison.
He was sent to prison in October 2011, after pleading guilty in connection with attacking a woman on Oct. 31, 2010.
In that case, Swigart followed a woman from the Sandy TRAX station into a field, where he grabbed her hair from behind and pulled her to the ground, charges state.
He sexually assaulted the woman, and choked her with his hands when she screamed for help, charges state. He then told her he was going to kill her, according to court documents.
At a point where the woman thought she might pass out from being choked, a car pulled to a nearby stop light and Swigart stood up, charges state. The woman then ran to her place of employment.
Charged with aggravated sexual assault and forcible sexual abuse, Swigart pleaded guilty to a lesser count of first-degree felony attempted aggravated sexual assault. He was sentenced to prison for a term of three years to life.
Swigart has a criminal history dating back to 2001, which includes convictions for assault, theft, theft by receiving and numerous cases of shoplifting and retail theft, according to Utah court records.