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Farmington • A Utah father and son accused of kidnapping and assaulting five people — and who are primary persons of interest in the slaying of a Utah Transit Authority maintenance worker — made their first court appearances Monday afternoon in the kidnapping case.

Flint Wayne Harrison, 51, and Dereck James "DJ" Harrison, 22, each were charged last week in 2nd District Court with 16 counts: five counts of first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping, five counts of aggravated assault, a charge of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, one count of possession or use of a controlled substance and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. They were also charged with three counts of damaging a communications device.

An Aug. 9 preliminary hearing was set for Flint Harrison. Prosecutors will present evidence at that hearing, and Judge Michael Allphin will decide whether there is probable cause for the case to move forward to trial.

The judge also ruled that the no-bail hold continue for both the father and son. Flint Harrison's attorney, Susanne Gustin, said her client likely couldn't make bail if it was lowered, and didn't ask for a hearing to request that his bail status be changed.

Dereck Harrison is due back in court June 1. Public defender Ron Fujino told the judge that his client wants more time to speak with his family about hiring a private attorney.

The two men are accused of kidnapping and assaulting a mother and four of her daughters at a Centerville home May 10. The females escaped the home, and the Harrisons eluded a police manhunt and fled the state two days later, on the same day that UTA employee Kay Porter Ricks and his work truck disappeared.

The father and son were arrested last week in Sublette County, Wyo., and were transported to the Davis County jail on Thursday to face charges related to the kidnapping. Ricks, 63, was found dead May 17 near a dirt road in the high desert south of Kemmerer, in Lincoln County, Wyo., and his work truck was located Thursday in Pinedale, Wyo.

The Harrisons have not yet been formally charged in connection to Ricks' death, but police believe they were likely involved.

Gustin said Monday that she didn't know if murder charges would be filed against her client or Dereck Harrison.

"I have no idea what kind of evidence they have against DJ or my client," she said. "So I don't know."

Family members of the Harrisons left the courthouse quickly without commenting to reporters.

In the kidnapping case, the two men allegedly invited a mother and her four teenage daughters to the Centerville home, located near 190 North and 700 East, for a barbecue.

The men showed the family downstairs, according to an arrest warrant affidavit, where the females saw strips of duct tape lined up and zip ties on the floor.

Dereck Harrison, carrying a shotgun, ordered them to get on the floor, charges state. The females did not take him seriously and went back upstairs, where Flint Harrison, carrying a baseball bat, forced them back to the basement by prodding and jabbing them with the bat.

Once on their knees, the victims' hands were bound behind their backs and their feet were tied.

Flint Harrison put duct tape over the mother's mouth and a bag over her head, charges state.

All five females tried to break their bonds and flee. The men grabbed two of them, but two girls ran to a closed garage, where one them called 911 before Flint Harrison took away the phone, charges state.

When Flint held a gun to the 18-year-old's throat, she slapped it away and ran. Meanwhile, the 17-year-old got the bat and struck Dereck Harrison, charges state. The mother and girls, bruised by blows, escaped and called for help from neighbors.

The motive for the abduction and assaults, police have said, appeared to have been meth-fueled paranoia that the mother had informed police of their drug activities.

jmiller@sltrib.com Twitter: @jm_miller