A Utah judge ordered Jacob Ortell Scott, 28, to be kept in custody after two girls, ages 12 and 14, were found trapped in the freezer compartment of his truck following a traffic accident on Interstate 15.

Utah State Police said the case came to light Wednesday after a traffic accident in Lindon, where troopers inspected the truck and observed two pairs of eyes inside the trailer.

The girls were in an enclosed space whose temperature was maintained at 30 degrees Fahrenheit (-1 ° C), which even dropped to 29.5. Inside, investigators also found bedding.

According to court documents, the girls had been locked inside since leaving Huntington, Utah, a trip that lasted nearly two hours.

Interrogation and driver's account

The truck driver, Jacob Ortell Scott, initially expressed surprise when confronted by troopers, but eventually acknowledged there were girls inside after speaking to his passenger, according to the affidavit.

Authorities stressed that the girls had no way to get themselves out of the refrigerated compartment. They were later interviewed by the State Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Children and Family Services.

Scott was treated at a hospital for a possible hand injury before being booked into the Utah County Jail.

Judge Sean Petersen ordered him held without bail, citing “substantial evidence” against him and that he posed a “significant danger” to the community.

Court records show he had prior misdemeanor convictions but no felony convictions.