ST. GEORGE— Upon further investigation into a report of an alleged kidnapping attempt Wednesday at a Target retail store in St. George, police announced Friday that they determined the incident was not an attempted kidnapping.
A police report was filed Thursday of a suspicious incident that occurred Wednesday at Target, located at 275 S. River Road, involving an unidentified woman grabbing a stroller with a 2-year-old boy inside, according to the St. George Police Department.
“The initial report indicated that a woman tried to walk away with someone else’s young child, who was in a stroller,” police posted Friday on the department’s Facebook page. “This was very concerning and officers immediately began working with our detectives to view video footage and identify the other woman involved.”
After reviewing the security footage and interviewing both the mother of the child and the woman who reportedly grabbed the stroller, detectives determined that the incident was more of a misunderstanding rather than an attempted kidnapping.
“Long story short, the two women were in the same area of the store, shopping,” police said. “The second woman had reached for what she thought was her cart and mistakenly grabbed the handle of the stroller.”
As the woman was letting go of the stroller, realizing the handle was different than a shopping cart handle, the mother of the child noticed and confronted the woman, police said, noting that the woman then explained what happened, apologized to the mother, parted ways and both continued shopping.
The mother of the child posted on Facebook Thursday, urging mothers to be extra cautious at stores with their children after she said the unidentified woman tried to abduct her 2-year-old boy while she was shopping at the store.
The mother’s Facebook post quickly garnered lots of attention with nearly 1,000 comments and more than 4,000 shares.
“We live in the age of social media,” the Police Department cautioned on its Facebook post. “Information can spread like wildfire. Sometimes that information might not be relaying the whole story because it’s written based on one individual’s view and each of us interprets things in our own way.”
The mother of the child updated the Facebook post Friday with the following message:
The woman has been found and the police have questioned her. Nothing can be proved about this incident. I am 100% positive any mother in my situation would have acted the same and searched for help in identifying the woman. I want to thank the Saint George police for their diligent efforts in this situation. The public has been an amazing support and I wish I could thank anyone individually for their love and concern. This has been the most terrifying thing to experience for me and my family and am thanking my Heavenly Father that we were one of the lucky ones. I urge EVERYONE to be careful with their sweet babies when going out.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings.
ST. GEORGE — Raven Devonnett Burnett Shakes congratulated her 82-year-old victim on her good fortune of winning a multimillion dollar “prize sweepstakes.”
Shakes befriended the lonely widow from Southern Utah and pressed her to liquidate as many assets as possible to obtain money to redeem her prize. Through the telephone-based sweepstakes fraud, Shakes succeeded in obtaining $161,000 from the elderly woman.
“She stole excessively and without conscience,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Bell said of Shakes in federal court Monday. “She stopped only because the FBI caught her …. She scammed elderly victims for roughly a quarter of a million dollars. She didn’t earn a penny of that money, but she earned every day of the sentence the court hands down today.”
Shakes, 27, of Malden, Massachusetts, appeared before U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart in St. George Monday to hear her sentence after pleading guilty to mail fraud in February as part of a plea agreement.
“It’s hard for me to believe that people can do things like this to other people,” the elderly woman said as she stood in court, looking Shakes directly in the eyes. “… And, I really feel sorry for you because you just don’t realize that you changed someone’s life, and not for the better.”
After immigrating from Jamaica and becoming a permanent resident of the United States more than three years ago, Shakes will now live behind bars in a federal penitentiary for the next four years.
Judge Stewart sentenced Shakes to a 51-month prison sentence and ordered her to pay $161,000 in restitution, noting that Shakes may likely be deported after finishing her sentence for her far-reaching scheme.
The sweepstakes scheme
“Focusing on the elderly, Ms. Shakes targeted people who are generally more trusting, less technologically savvy and frequently lonely and easily manipulated,” Bell stated in a sentencing memorandum filed in court. “Robbing such victims of financial independence at the time in their life when medical needs are mostly likely to strain their resources is cruel and selfish.”
Posing as a 64-year-old woman named “Kimberly,” Shakes called the 82-year-old woman’s cellphone in February 2016 and told her she had won a prize of $11.5 million in a sweepstakes that she had automatically been enrolled in by virtue of paying her utility bills.
Shakes directed the Washington County woman to send money for payment of taxes and other fees associated with claiming the multimillion-dollar prize and persuaded her to keep the transactions secret lest she jeopardize her “prize money” by violating “confidentiality” rules.
In just under four months, Shakes called the woman nearly 500 times, befriending her and earning the elderly woman’s trust by frequently asking about her children and, as “Kimberly,” sharing stories of what she described as her own 84-year-old mother.
“Sometimes when you would call, we would just talk,” the woman told Shakes in court Monday. “You became a friend to me. We talked about your mother and my kids and grandkids and the things you would talk to a friend about.”
See scam victim talk about her experience in video top of this report.
During the course of the scam, Shakes directed the woman to send packages containing bulk cash payments, telling her that upon receipt of sufficient payment of all taxes and fees, the $11.5 million-dollar sweepstakes prize would be released to her.
Shakes further instructed the woman to apply for a home equity loan in an effort to obtain even more money.
“She’s not only this aggressive with the individual victim, but she worked very hard to exploit others – and just how many, it’s hard to know,” Bell argued in court. “… Collectively, to the other victims, she made hundreds of additional calls. This defendant didn’t shy away from hard work – she just shied away from honest work.”
After cashing in her investments and annuities, the elderly woman took out a home equity loan but her family eventually learned of the situation and contacted the FBI prior to conclusion of the scam.
Federal agents identified “Kimberly” as Shakes and subsequently conducted a controlled delivery of an additional cash payment to Shakes before executing a search warrant on her Massachusetts residence.
After learning of the strong evidence against her, including recorded conversations and forensic analysis of her cellphone, Shakes eventually pleaded guilty.
“Although she’s plead (sic) guilty, she hasn’t taken any steps to make her victims whole,” Bell said. “She stole an enormous amount of money in a short period of time, but she reports that she has no money, no assets, no form of income.”
Federal investigators found evidence that Shakes’ overall scheme caused more than $250,000 in total intended loss – nearly all of it in actual losses to the woman and several other victims, most of them between 71 and 91 years old.
At Monday’s hearing, Shakes explained why her sentence should be lenient, noting that if she was given some time before being taken into custody, she had an employer willing to hire her immediately.
“I am truly remorseful for my actions,” Shakes said. “I am really sorry for the loss of the victim. I hope she can find it in her heart to forgive me. In the future, I won’t make this mistake again. … I also have a job offer. I will work to reimburse whatever I can to the victim.”
Bell responded: “She’s made no payments toward restitution and I find it curious that here, today, she suggests that she could have a job starting tomorrow if the court would not take her into custody.”
Judge Stewart said it concerned the court that Shakes had shown “very little remorse” and no attempt to make good to those she harmed.
“The court wants to impose a sentence that will deter this defendant and others from similar conduct,” Stewart said. “The court also believes that it has to impose a sentence that will protect the public from similar conduct by this defendant and others.”
Stewart handed down the maximum sentence and ordered Shakes to be taken into custody by U.S. marshals immediately, deeming her a risk to the community as well as a flight risk due to her citizenship in another country and the potential of her having a large amount of money possibly stashed overseas.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah John W. Huber spoke outside the St. George courthouse Monday about the increasing frequency of fraud crimes targeting the elderly.
“The sentence issued by Judge Stewart today is a message of justice to those who exploit our elders,” Huber said, “and it’s a message to our elders that they’re important in our society and we will do all we can to protect them.”
The Federal Trade Commission provides the following ways to spot a prize scam:
Scammers ask you to pay before you can claim your prize. Legitimate sweepstakes don’t make you pay a fee or buy something to enter or improve your chances of winning. Scammers might try to sound official and say it’s for “taxes,” “shipping and handling charges” or “processing fees.” Don’t pay to claim a prize, and never give your checking or credit card number for a sweepstakes promotion.
Scammers ask you to wire money to “ensure” delivery of your prize. Don’t do it. Legitimate sweepstakes don’t ask you to wire money. Once you wire money, you can’t get it back. The same goes for sending a check or money order by overnight delivery or putting money on a prepaid debit card.
Scammers send you a check and ask you to send some of the money back. But the check is fake, and you’re responsible for repaying the bank.
Scammers use the names of well-known companies for prize scams. Con artists often pretend to call from well-known companies to make themselves appear legitimate and gain your trust. If you don’t remember entering, you probably didn’t. If you think it may be legit, use a search engine to find the company’s real phone number. Call to confirm that you entered a contest before responding to any claims that you won.
ST. GEORGE — After allegedly standing on a sidewalk and firing a gun into the air Monday night, a Mesquite, Nevada, man barricaded himself in a home with children inside, prompting a response by Mesquite SWAT and a crisis negotiator.
At approximately 9 p.m. Monday, officers were dispatched to a residence on 1st South Street in Mesquite after multiple people called 911 to report a man who was allegedly standing on the sidewalk in front of his residence, shooting a handgun into the air, according to a statement issued by the Mesquite Police Department.
Mesquite officers immediately responded to the area and found the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Elvis Roman, had gone back into his residence, police said Tuesday.
After multiple attempts, authorities said officers were able to make contact with Roman, but he refused to exit the residence without any firearms or to allow officers to check on the welfare of children who were inside.
The Mesquite SWAT team and crisis negotiator subsequently arrived and began negotiations with Roman in an attempt to get him to peacefully surrender and allow officers to check the welfare of others inside the residence, according to police.
“While negotiating with Elvis, he continued to make threats towards the officers,” officials said, “but they were eventually able to talk Elvis into coming near the rear entrance of the residence where they were able to take him into custody without injury.”
Officers entered the residence, checked on the welfare of the children inside the home and secured a 9-mm handgun and a 12-gauge shotgun, according to the Police Department.
Roman was arrested and charged with seven misdemeanor counts of discharging a firearm within city limits and one misdemeanor count of resisting a public officer.
Roman was subsequently transported and booked into the Mesquite Detention Center.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
ST. GEORGE — The discovery of a stolen Utah vehicle in Mesquite, Nevada, led to the arrest of two men and two women, along with the discovery of a second vehicle the four had also reportedly stolen.
Dawnelle Johnson, of Las Vegas, Nevada, booking photo posted June 3, 2017 | Photo courtesy of the Mesquite Police Department, St. George News
At approximately 10 p.m. Saturday, a Mesquite Police officer was on routine patrol when he observed a vehicle stopped in the travel lane on Falcon Ridge Parkway, according to a statement issued by the Mesquite Police Department.
When the officer stopped behind the vehicle, four occupants – including two men and two women – exited the vehicle and began walking away from it, officials said.
The officer spoke with two of the four occupants and discovered the vehicle had recently been stolen out of Utah and had fictitious license plates, Mesquite police said.
Stephen Johnson, of Las Vegas, Nevada, booking photo posted June 3, 2017 | Photo courtesy of the Mesquite Police Department, St. George News
Approximately one hour later, the other two occupants were located by officers.
In addition to the recovery of the stolen vehicle, officers located a .380 semi-automatic handgun the suspects had been carrying before throwing the gun into sagebrush when the officers made contact with them, officials said.
Upon further investigation, police located a second stolen vehicle registered in Nevada that the suspects had parked near a casino in Mesquite.
All four suspects were taken into police custody.
Jody Ross, of Las Vegas, Nevada, booking photo posted June 3, 2017 | Photo courtesy of the Mesquite Police Department, St. George News
Stephen Johnson, 35; Jody Ross, 40; Jonathan Luna, 23; Dawnelle Johnson, 31, all of Las Vegas, Nevada, were each charged with one felony count of possession of a stolen vehicle.
Further criminal charges are pending the completion of other related law enforcement investigations, according to the Police Department.
Jonathan Luna, of Las Vegas, Nevada, booking photo posted June 3, 2017 | Photo courtesy of the Mesquite Police Department, St. George News
Due to the felony charges, all four suspects were transported and booked into the Clark County Detention Center.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
ST. GEORGE — A colossal American flag is flying again in St. George from the top of Southern Utah’s tallest flagpole.
National Guardsmen raise an American flag up a 150-foot flagpole at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
A crowd gathered at Nielson RV Thursday to watch as the supersized symbol of freedom was raised by members of the United States Armed Forces during a flag ceremony at the RV dealership located at 341 E. Sunland Drive.
St. George City Mayor Jon Pike said he is grateful for Nielson RV Owner Scott Nielson’s investment in the “iconic” flag and extra-tall flagpole.
“It’s been great to work with him and resolve the issue of having a permit to have this tall, tall, tallest flagpole in St. George and Washington County,” Pike said.
The issue arose when Nielson RV was issued a code-enforcement violation on April 18 from the city of St. George stating that a flagpole displaying a 40-by-80-foot American flag in the company’s parking lot violated the city height requirement.
Nielson had believed the pole was in compliance before he had it installed and felt he was paying a price for patriotism after being told he would have to pay an additional $300 permitting fee in order for the city to consider granting a variance allowing for the pole’s height.
L-R: World War II Veteran Bill Sampson, Nielson RV owner Scott Nielson and St. George City Mayor Jon Pike arrive at Thursday’s flag ceremony via helicopter, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
Mayor Pike promptly responded to the heated controversy and was at the forefront of getting the issue resolved and seeing to it that Nielson’s $300 fee was waived so the flag could go back up once its windstorm damage was repaired.
“In this case, we have a 150-foot flagpole which is going to be a real beacon-like feature for the community and a very big flag that will go on it,” Pike said, “and so that’s simply what we wanted to do was to make sure that we dotted our i’s and crossed our t’s and that everything was good.”
The mayor, Nielson and Nielson’s 91-year-old grandfather, World War II veteran Bill Sampson, were flown to Thursday’s event in a black helicopter that landed in the dealership’s parking lot.
The lot was filled with approximately 300 community members, including veterans, St. George City Council members, St. George firefighters, St. George Police officers and National Guard troops, among others.
A sign displayed at the Nielson RV dealership in St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
After Sampson’s great-grandson, William Sampson Nielson, led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, Sampson’s great-granddaughter, Grace Nielson, sang the national anthem while members of the National Guard raised the flag.
Sampson told the crowd of his recent Honor Flight experience in which he had the opportunity to fly to Washington, D.C. with 50 other World War II veterans.
“We went to the fort there, and they were telling us about what had happened when the British figured that they were going to take the fort,” Sampson said. “It was smoky that morning. They couldn’t see the fort. … The smoke cleared. Then they could see the American flag flying, and they knew that the British hadn’t taken the fort.”
Scott Nielson expressed his love for the nation and for those who have served it, noting that he had the flagpole installed for his grandfather and all the other veterans.
National Guardsman salutes the American flag, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
“We are truly, sincerely proud to support our troops,” Scott Nielson said. “We love our veterans. We love those that have served, that are in active duty and those that have fallen for such a great cause. I love you guys. I thank you for the support that you have given us. And again, a shout out to the mayor for such an awesome jump in to save this flag.”
Currently, there are approximately 10,000 veterans in the Washington County area, Pike said, noting how much the veterans will appreciate having a landmark of sorts that creates such a strong feeling of patriotism.
“I think it will be great to have the flag – it’s so large – right along I-15,” Pike said. “I think that will be one of the first things people see as they come, especially from the south, but even from the north, and I think that’s great, you know. It lets people know, again, this is the kind of community we have.”
American flag flies from a 150-foot flagpole at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Michael Durrant, St. George News
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
Members of the St. George Police and Fire departments attend a flag ceremony at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
St. George Police K-9 Officer Emma makes an appearance Thursday at a flag ceremony held at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
Nielson RV owner Scott Nielson presents members of the St. George Fire Department with a $500 check for the department's service to the community, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
St. George City Mayor Jon Pike, Nielson RV owner Scott Nielson and World War II veteran Bill Sampson arrive in a helicopter to kick off a flag ceremony at Nielson RV in St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
A crowd gathers at Nielson RV to await the arrival of St. George City Mayor Jon Pike, Nielson RV owner Scott Nielson and World War II veteran Bill Sampson, who were flown to the dealership in a helicopter to kick off a flag ceremony, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
St. George City Mayor Jon Pike, Nielson RV owner Scott Nielson and World War II veteran Bill Sampson arrive in a helicopter to kick off a flag ceremony at Nielson RV in St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
A helicopter carrying St. George City Mayor Jon Pike, Nielson RV owner Scott Nielson and World War II veteran Bill Sampson lands at Nielson RV to kick off a flag ceremony, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
A helicopter carrying St. George City Mayor Jon Pike, Nielson RV owner Scott Nielson and World War II veteran Bill Sampson lands at Nielson RV to kick off a flag ceremony, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
L-R: World War II veteran Bill Sampson, Nielson RV owner Scott Nielson and St. George City Mayor Jon Pike arrive at Thursday's flag ceremony via helicopter, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
A sign displayed at the Nielson RV dealership in St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
A flag raising ceremony held Thursday at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
L-R: World War II veteran Bill Sampson, Nielson RV owner Scott Nielson and St. George City Mayor Jon Pike arrive at Thursday's flag ceremony via helicopter, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
World War II veteran Bill Sampson hands a National Guardsman a flag as part of a flag ceremony held Thursday at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
Bill Sampson’s great-grandson, William Sampson Nielson, led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
National Guardsmen raise an American flag up a 150-foot flagpole during a flag ceremony at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
National Guardsmen raise an American flag up a 150-foot flagpole during a flag ceremony at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
National Guardsmen raise an American flag up a 150-foot flagpole during a flag ceremony at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
National Guardsmen raise an American flag up a 150-foot flagpole at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
A colossal American flag was raised up a 150-foot flagpole at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
National Guardsmen salute the American flag at a flag ceremony at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
National Guardsmen salute the American flag at a flag ceremony at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
National Guardsman salute the American flag, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
American flag flies from a 150-foot flagpole at Nielson RV, St. George, Utah, June 8, 2017 | Photo by Michael Durrant, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — A St. George man is facing four first-degree felony charges for alleged aggravated sexual abuse of an 11-year-old girl.
Hamilton Reed Dayzie, of St. George, Utah, booking photo posted June 12, 2017 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
Hamilton Reed Dayzie was arrested on the charges Monday and is being held on $80,000 bail.
Detectives began investigating the case on May 16 after the mother of a 17-year-old St. George girl reported that her daughter had been sexually abused by Dayzie on multiple occasions, according to a probable cause statement filed by a St. George Police officer in support of the arrest.
The alleged sex abuse had reportedly occurred at a St. George residence approximately six years earlier when the girl was 11 years old, the arresting officer wrote in the sworn statement.
The 17-year-old girl was interviewed at the Children’s Justice Center on May 25 where she disclosed illicit details involving four separate incidents of the alleged abuse, according to the statement.
On Monday, Dayzie met detectives at the St. George Police Department where he was interviewed. Dayzie denied the allegations and maintained he was “never alone” with the child, the officer wrote in the statement.
Dayzie was arrested and transported to the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility.
The Washington County Attorney’s Office filed an information in 5th District Court accusing Dayzie of four first-degree felony counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child.
Judge John Walton, of the 5th District Court, ordered $80,000 bail for Dayzie’s release pending trial. Dayzie was found indigent by the court during his initial appearance Tuesday and will be represented by court-appointed attorney Edward Flint.
As this report is published, Dayzie remains in police custody.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
ST. GEORGE — A 30-year-old St. George man was arrested on lewdness charges Tuesday after reportedly strolling down Sunset Boulevard without wearing any clothes.
David Lee Taylor, of St. George, Utah, booking photo posted June 13, 2017 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
At approximately 2:35 p.m., police responded to several reports of a man walking down Sunset Boulevard “going into traffic” and “causing a hazard,” according to a probable cause statement filed by the St. George Police Department in support of the arrest.
“The first caller reported the male had a hospital bag with him and a water bottle. He was still clothed at that time,” the arresting officer wrote in a sworn statement. “… The next few callers reported a male of the same description walking down Sunset Blvd naked with only socks and shoes.”
Police arrived and spotted a man walking naked on a sidewalk, according to the statement. The naked man, identified as David Lee Taylor, of St. George, was placed in a patrol vehicle to keep him out of public view.
“The male had no clothing with him except for the shoes and socks on his feet,” the officer wrote in the statement. “He was talking about ‘drone water’ and that is why he took off his clothing.”
Several people filled out witness statements, including a 13-year-old girl who also saw Taylor walking down the street naked, the report stated.
“David (Taylor) was given Miranda and admitted that he knew children were likely in the area when he was walking around naked,” the officer said. “He stated he didn’t think it was a big deal because it isn’t anything they haven’t seen before.”
Taylor was arrested and transported to the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility.
The Washington County Attorney’s Office filed an information in 5th District Court accusing Taylor of class A misdemeanor lewdness involving a child, along with a class B misdemeanor count of lewdness.
Taylor is scheduled to appear before 5th District Judge Jeffrey Wilcox Thursday for a court arraignment. As this report is published, Taylor remains in police custody.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
ST. GEORGE — Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints polygamous sect leader Lyle Steed Jeffs is in police custody after nearly a year on the lam, the FBI Field Office in Salt Lake City announced Thursday.
Lyle Jeffs booking photo | Photo courtesy of the FBI Field Office in Salt Lake City, St. George News
Jeffs, 57, was arrested in South Dakota around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. He was booked into the Minnehaha County Jail in Sioux Falls just before midnight on a U.S. Marshals hold. He is being held without bond.
Few details of the capture were immediately provided. The FBI is expected to hold a news conference in Salt Lake City on Jeffs’ arrest Thursday afternoon.
Jeffs and 11 co-defendants, also members of the polygamous sect, were arrested in February 2016 on charges of diverting at least $12 million worth of federal benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Jeffs and other leaders were accused of instructing followers to buy items with their food stamp cards and give them to a church warehouse where leaders decided how to distribute products to followers.
Lyle Jeffs was released from jail on June 9, 2016, and ordered to home confinement while awaiting trial on accusations he helped orchestrate a multimillion-dollar food stamp fraud scheme within the FLDS church.
FBI officials said they believe Lyle Jeffs used olive oil to slip off his GPS ankle bracelet during the evening hours of June 18, 2016, and abscond from home confinement in Salt Lake City.
FBI investigations revealed that after absconding, Lyle Jeffs spent time in the Short Creek area in July 2016.
The twin cities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona – collectively known as Short Creek – straddle the Utah-Arizona border and are home base to thousands of FLDS members who consider Warren Jeffs to be the church’s prophet and mouthpiece of God on Earth.
In August 2016, federal authorities announced they were offering a $50,000 reward to the person or persons who provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of Lyle Jeffs and elevated Jeffs to the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list.
Meanwhile, Jeffs’ co-defendants resolved their cases by pleading guilty to felony or misdemeanor charges. All avoided jail time or paying restitution.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
ST. GEORGE — From growing up behind prison bars to becoming an ATF agent serving the State of Utah, a special member of the Office of the State Fire Marshal team – who celebrated his fourth birthday this week – has come a long way in his short life.
Utah Deputy Fire Marshal Troy Mills, handler, with ATF K-9 Agent Oscar, Salt Lake City, Utah, June 14, 2017 | Photo from video courtesy of Utah DPS, St. George News
Before coming to Utah, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives K-9 Agent Oscar began his training with the “Puppies Behind Bars” organization where Oscar was raised by a federal prison inmate in Ohio.
Puppies enter the program at the prison when they are just 8 weeks old and live with their inmate puppy-raisers for approximately 12-24 months. Inmates involved in the program groom the puppies for a life of service.
“Their program is specifically designed to raise the dogs with the intent that they’ll become service dogs of some type,” Oscar’s
said. “So, once he was raised, ATF came in and evaluated him and determined that he would be a good candidate for their program.”
Oscar then went on to complete an intense 12-week training program at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Canine Center in Front Royal, Virginia, to become an accelerant detection dog.
“ATF figures that they’ve invested about $50,000 into the dog by the time they send them home with us,” Mills said, noting that Oscar is one of 53 ATF accelerant detection dogs in the country.
ATF K-9 Agent Oscar celebrates his fourth birthday, Salt Lake City, Utah, June 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Department of Public Safety, St. George News
“He’s incredible in a fire scene,” Mills said. “He can pinpoint the location of accelerants – if somebody uses gasoline or diesel fuel, kerosene, charcoal fluid, anything like that to ignite a fire, he can pinpoint the location of where they poured it.”
Mills and Oscar investigate approximately 30-40 Utah fires per year together to determine a fire’s cause and origin, Mills said.
Oscar is trained to recognize several products that have been divided within six different categories of accelerant. When Oscar recognizes an odor, he alerts his handler by pointing to it with his nose and then sitting.
ATF K-9 Agent Oscar celebrates his fourth birthday, Salt Lake City, Utah, June 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Department of Public Safety, St. George News
“Basically, he’s my partner. We go everywhere together,” Mills said. “… My office is in Richfield but I literally cover the entire state. Because there’s so few of these dogs, if they have a fire, I could be sent anywhere within the state.”
At the scene of a fire, Oscar helps to immediately determine whether there’s been an accelerant used, Mills said. Otherwise, investigators would collect samples from the scene, send them off to a crime lab and wait several months for the results.
“One thing that’s incredible to me is how good his nose is,” Mills said of Oscar. “Studies have proven that these dogs can detect odors in the neighborhood of 500 parts per trillion. So, he is very, very good at detecting the odor.”
Mills said he can take a golf tee, put a drop of gasoline on it and hide it in the lawn, and Oscar will find it.
ST. GEORGE — Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints polygamous sect leader Lyle Steed Jeffs, who had been on the run from authorities for almost a year, did not resist arrest Wednesday night in South Dakota, officials said Thursday at a news conference in Salt Lake City.
Jeffs had been living out of his car for two weeks before his arrest in Yankton, which is located approximately six hours east of Pringle, South Dakota, where the FLDS owns a compound.
“From the beginning of this fugitive hunt, we said that this will be the public and local law enforcement, and that proved to be true,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric Barnhart said Thursday, noting that the FBI had received a tip Tuesday from a citizen reporting an individual matching Lyle Jeffs’ description.
The information provided by the tipster – including a description of the make, model, color and plate of Jeffs’ vehicle – was “absolutely instrumental” to tracking down Jeffs, Barnhart said.
Just after 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jeffs’ vehicle was spotted by the Yankton Police Department’s acting chief, who was off-duty at the time, near a recreation area marina in Yankton, Barnhart said.
Jeffs, who was alone at the time, was leaving the area when additional law enforcement agencies arrived and conducted a felony stop on his vehicle. He was arrested and transported to the Minnehaha County Jail in South Dakota where he is being held without bond. He was scheduled to make his initial appearance in the U.S. Courthouse in Sioux Falls Thursday afternoon.
“Now that he’s back into the loving embrace of law enforcement, we will try and patch together a timeline of where he was and with whom he interacted,” Barnhart said, noting that officials have no solid evidence that anyone was helping him in his fugitive status.
Jeffs escaped house arrest last summer after using olive oil to slip a GPS tracking bracelet off his ankle and abscond from home confinement in Salt Lake City while awaiting trial on accusations he helped orchestrate a multimillion-dollar food stamp fraud scheme within the FLDS church.
Jeffs and other leaders were accused of instructing followers to buy items with their food stamp cards and give them to a church warehouse where leaders decided how to distribute products to followers, diverting at least $12 million worth of federal benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah John Huber said Thursday that Jeffs’ flight from prosecution and his fugitive status will undoubtedly play a significant part in his upcoming prosecution.
“When you flee a federal indictment, the long arm of the law will eventually catch up with you and bring you back to justice,” Huber said. “… A trial team comprised of our top prosecutors and investigators eagerly await the opportunity to give Mr. Lyle Jeffs his day in court.”
Officials have always viewed Lyle Jeffs as the lead defendant in the food stamp fraud case, Huber said Thursday, noting that the prosecution’s approach with Jeffs “will in no way resemble the way we have handled and processed the other defendants in this case.”
Jeffs’ 11 co-defendants resolved their cases by pleading guilty to felony or misdemeanor charges. All avoided jail time or paying restitution.
Because he fled prosecution, Huber said Jeffs will likely face at least another felony charge.
“It’s a serious offense to flee justice and we do not take it lightly,” Huber said. “We do not give up, you’re not going to get away with it, the FBI and their partners will find you, a conscientious public will step up and do the right things and report the things that trouble them, and you will be brought back to court and your problems will be deeper and more serious.”
Jeffs is expected to be extradited to Utah in the next couple of days.
Officials are determining whether the tipster qualifies to receive a $50,000 reward offered by the FBI for Lyle Jeffs’ capture and conviction.
“We want to do what’s right because without this person’s assistance, we wouldn’t be here today,” Barnhart said. “… The reward was up to $50,000 so, our aim is to get it out to deserving people, if they qualify.”
The tipster provided “very solid information,” Barnhart said, adding that he knew it was just a matter of time before someone spotted Jeffs while he was on the run.
“He may not have been in physical custody from that moment that he fled almost a year ago until last night,” Barnhart said, “but he spent that whole time, I’m sure, looking over his shoulder wondering about every police officer he saw, every highway patrolman and what person would eventually give him up.”
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
ST. GEORGE — If you live in the St. George area and haven’t noticed the large groups of determined people walking about the community wearing a red Summit Rock T-shirt, the rock you’ve been living under shouldn’t be confused with the very specific rock those people have been searching for: One of three Summit Rocks. The last of three rocks in the 2017 Summit Rock Hunt was found by Eric Belair, of Washington County, Thursday at the Snow Canyon Little League Fields in Santa Clara.
Belair was presented with a $10,000 check Friday morning at Canyon Media offices.
Each of those who have found one of the three tan, engraved triangular Summit Rocks this year have found themselves $10,000 richer – had they not been wearing the Summit Rock T-shirt when they found their rock, their prize would have been only $5,000.
Canyon Media and Summit Athletic Club have been running the Summit Rock Hunt for the last five years.
Belair, who studied sports psychology at Dixie State University, said he had been telling his wife for the last three days that the Summit Rock was probably at a baseball field based on the clues they had been given.
Summit Rock Clue 3:
Summit Rock Hunters how can this be, some of you have been right next to me. Some will boast and others might POST, and then find out they’re not even close. Use the shirt for double the prize, a visitor might help you, use your eyes! The rock is ready to come back home, some will focus and others just roam. Many are out just for fun, others are there just for the run.
“A lot of it to me made sense with baseball like ‘home,’ ‘double,’ ‘gap,’” Belair said. “Visitor’s section was a big thing for me, like trying to find ‘home’ and ‘visitor’ section of a baseball field. So, when we got that clue yesterday and they were talking about ‘some dance,’ I was thinking High School Musical filmed over there so, baseball was really what I was sticking with.”
When Belair and his wife initially arrived at the ballfields, Belair said, he went for the only field that said “visitor,” noting that the other fields said “guest.” Belair said he was thinking of a home run so, he went searching near left-centerfield without any luck. He wasn’t detoured, and kept searching.
“When I got over there, I saw a T-post over in the grass,” Belair said, “so I really did feel strongly it was there. I told my wife, ‘I really believe it’s here.’”
He knew the post couldn’t be a coincidence, Belair said, so he began looking in the grass surrounding the post. When he couldn’t find the rock there, he decided to look at other areas nearby.
“(I was) just casually walking up the hill, saw a little tan rock, picked up a dark rock that was covering it and there it was,” Belair said, adding that he couldn’t believe it, at first.
Belair said he just graduated from Dixie State and will use most of the money to pay off student loans after having some family fun.
“We’re going to go on a vacation, that’s about it,” he said, “and the rest is going toward my education.”
This year’s “Summit Rock Hunt” began on May 30 and ended with Belair finding the last of three rocks.
Clues for rock hunters were shared on Canyon Media radio shows and their Facebook pages as well as Summit Athletic Clubs Facebook page.
The Summit Rock Hunt idea came about after Joe Levine, owner of the Summit Athletic Club, and his wife heard of a similar event on the radio years ago in Las Vegas, Levine said in an earlier interview with St. George News. The two liked the idea and wanted to apply it to the athletic club as well as the community.
“It’s the neatest form of exercise,” Levine said. “Exercise doesn’t have to be horrible and hard. This is something you can enjoy and have fun with.”
ST. GEORGE — A 24-year-old woman has been arrested after stealing her friend’s identity to obtain a fraudulent driver’s license, a $4,000 loan, credit cards and prepaid gift cards for herself in her friend’s name.
Jessica Ann McCamey illegally renewed her friend Ciara Johnson’s driver’s license at the Provo Department of Motor Vehicles on April 24, having her own picture taken and subsequently used on the license, according to Utah court documents.
“(The DMV) saw that I had just renewed my driver’s license and saw my new picture,” St. George resident Johnson said. “If they’d have paid attention to what they see on my previous license – I have brown eyes. She has bright blue eyes. I’m 130 pounds. She’s like 200 pounds. There’s a big difference. I’m very dominant in my features. She’s blonde. I’m Arabic. So, I don’t understand how she was able to get a license.”
Jessica Ann McCamey, booking photo posted June 12, 2017 | Photo courtesy of the Utah County Jail, St. George News
Johnson said she became friends with McCamey, of Provo, when McCamey began dating her husband’s lifelong best friend about a year and a half ago. As that relationship grew, Johnson said the couple decided to move from Provo to St. George and would stay at the Johnson’s home while searching for a place of their own.
“We hung out all the time – I mean, she’s becoming like one of my best friends, you know, because I was her only friend here in St. George,” Johnson said. “So, I became really close with her.”
Just before a planned trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, for McCamey’s birthday in March, Johnson learned her driver’s license was missing so she went to the Washington County DMV to obtain a new driver’s license for the trip.
Around that same time, Johnson said McCamey asked for her help to dye her blonde hair a dark-brown color – similar to the color of Johnson’s hair – before they left for Las Vegas.
“I got to Vegas with her for her birthday, we go shopping, we do all this stuff,” Johnson said, adding, “When I get back from Vegas – it was maybe three weeks after Vegas – I get a call from Victoria’s Secret and they’re asking me to pay off my balance and I said, “’What are you talking about? I don’t have a balance, I always pay mine off right when I use it.’”
Surveillance footage captures Jessica McCamey fraudulently obtaining a $4,000 loan at Utah Community Credit Union, Provo, Utah, April 2017 | Photo courtesy of Ciara Johnson, St. George News
Johnson said she knew someone must have stolen her Victoria’s Secret credit card or used her personal information to make the purchases on her account. While Johnson was trying to resolve the issue, she remembered a letter she received from Home Depot about two weeks prior, informing her that her account had been approved.
“I had just thought it was junk mail like I get all the time,” Johnson said, “and then I called Home Depot right after I hung up the phone with Victoria’s Secret and find out I have a $5,000 credit card opened up with them that was maxed out.”
As Johnson dug deeper, she learned she had more than 15 recent inquiries on her credit, including a Wells Fargo auto loan, R.C. Wiley, Best Buy, a signature loan in California and a loan at Utah Community Credit Union in Provo, among others.
Surveillance footage captures Jessica McCamey fraudulently obtaining a $4,000 loan at Utah Community Credit Union, Provo, Utah, April 2017 | Photo courtesy of Ciara Johnson, St. George News
“I called the Utah Community Credit Union up in Provo and they said, ‘yeah, you came in and you took out a $4,000 loan on this day, and I said, ‘no, that wasn’t me. I live in St. George. I’ve never been into your place at all.’”
Johnson said she then went to the St. George Police Department to file a police report but felt they weren’t providing her with the help she needed or taking any action so, she said she called the Provo Police Department and a detective promptly jumped on the case.
Provo Police obtained surveillance footage from the credit union on the date the loan was processed.
“(The detective) thought I was filing a false police report because he looked at my ID and looked up the footage from the UCCU and it’s the same person,” Johnson said. “But then he went and looked on my Facebook and saw who I was and found her profile and saw who she was and so then he put everything together. He called me and sent me over the surveillance and he said, “You know her but I need you to verify that it was her on the surveillance.’”
Johnson said she was shocked to find out it was McCamey, noting that McCamey was with her when she was filling out the police report.
According to a probable cause statement filed by Provo Police Officer Nicholas Patterson in support of the arrest, McCamey obtained a $4,000 loan in Johnson’s name, using Johnson’s information and providing forged documents stating she owned a home – Johnson’s St. George home – that she was renting out for income.
McCamey had already applied for and obtained a Home Depot credit card under Johnson’s name while she was living in St. George, Patterson wrote in the sworn statement.
“While she was in Provo, Jessica (McCamey) went to the Home Depot and used the credit card to purchase a total of $2,000 in prepaid credit cards,” Patterson stated.
Police arrested McCamey on June 12 in Provo.
She was booked into the Utah County Jail on second-degree felony producing a false identifying document; seven third-degree felony counts of identity fraud, theft by deception and forgery; along with two class A misdemeanor counts of unlawful use of a financial transaction card.
“A criminal history search revealed that Jessica has been arrested and convicted of the same crimes in the past several years,” according to the probable cause statement.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
ST. GEORGE — A Washington City woman was arrested Monday for allegedly embezzling $60,000 from her employer over a three-year span.
Detectives received the embezzlement report on April 18 in which the owner of a plumbing company reported one of his employees had been using a company credit card for personal expenses, according to a probable cause statement filed by the St. George Police Department in support of the arrest.
Amy Lyn Attwell, of Washington, Utah, booking photo posted June 19, 2017 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
The employee, identified as 30-year-old Amy Lyn Attwell, of Washington City, made “numerous unauthorized personal expenses from 2014 to February 2017,” the arresting officer wrote in a sworn statement.
The owner of the business told police that Attwell held a position of trust as the company’s cost controller and that she had made the purchases without the owner’s preauthorization or knowledge, according to the statement.
“(The employer) confronted Amy (Attwell) after he conducted an internal record check,” the officer wrote in the statement, “and she acknowledged she had used the company credit card for personal expenses.”
The employer had Attwell review financial statements and identify which of the expenses were legitimate and which ones were personal and unauthorized, the report stated.
“They reviewed the records together and ultimately Amy disagreed with the total number that (the employer) had discovered,” the officer stated. “(The employer) has provided several documents and statements and believes the aggregate total of all the unauthorized expenses is $60,000.”
In addition to financial statements, the employer provided detectives with two letters in which Attwell allegedly acknowledges owing the company money, according to the statement.
On June 19, detectives met with Attwell at the Police Department to question her about the allegations.
“She stated she did not want to make any statements per her attorney,” the officer wrote in the statement.
Attwell was arrested and booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility.
The Washington County Attorney’s Office filed an information in 5th District Court accusing Attwell of second-degree felony theft.
Attwell was subsequently released from police custody on $10,000 bail. She is scheduled to appear before 5th District Judge Jeffrey Wilcox June 26 for her initial court appearance.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
ST. GEORGE — A federal grand jury has issued a new indictment against Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints polygamous sect leader Lyle Steed Jeffs.
Jeffs, who had been on the run from authorities for nearly a year prior to his recent arrest, has been charged with a new felony count for failure to appear. Prosecutors filed the charge in federal court in Salt Lake City on Wednesday.
If convicted, Jeffs could potentially face up to 10 years in prison on the new charge.
Jeffs escaped from home confinement in Salt Lake City in June 2016 but was picked up by law enforcement in South Dakota last week after he pawned two pairs of pliers.
Authorities said Jeffs was alone and had been living out of his truck at the time of his arrest.
Before absconding last year, Jeffs was awaiting trial on accusations he helped orchestrate a multimillion-dollar food stamp fraud scheme within the FLDS church. Jeffs is still facing two felony charges in that matter.
Jeffs and other leaders were accused of instructing followers to buy items with their food stamp cards and give them to a church warehouse where leaders decided how to distribute products to followers, diverting at least $12 million worth of federal benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah John Huber said Thursday that Jeffs’ flight from prosecution and his fugitive status will undoubtedly play a significant part in his upcoming prosecution.
Jeffs’ 11 co-defendants resolved their cases by pleading guilty to felony or misdemeanor charges. All avoided jail time or paying restitution.
Because he fled prosecution, Huber said Jeffs won’t likely be offered a plea deal.
Officials have always viewed Lyle Jeffs as the lead defendant in the food stamp fraud case, Huber said last week, noting that the prosecution’s approach with Jeffs “will in no way resemble the way we have handled and processed the other defendants in this case.”
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
ST. GEORGE — A 2-year-old child has died after being left in a van in Washington County.
After receiving a 911 call at approximately 6:34 p.m. Saturday, law enforcement and emergency personnel were dispatched to a report of an unresponsive child at a residence in Winchester Hills, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Monday.
When first responders arrived on scene, they determined the child was deceased.
The child’s name has not yet been released. Monday evening, Washington County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the child was a boy, correcting earlier reports from another source. (See editor’s note.)
The 2-year-old had been attending a family reunion in the area with several families from out of state, according to the Sheriff’s Office. More than five families and between 25-35 children were temporarily residing at the Winchester Hills home while participating in the reunion events.
“The families had traveled to St. George for an activity with the children using multiple vehicles,” the Sheriff’s Office said in the statement. “They returned to Winchester Hills and prepared for a religious meeting in St. George, consisting of only adults.”
The 2-year-old and several other children were passengers of a coach-style van.
“It was suspected the child had fallen asleep during the return trip and did not exit the vehicle with the other children and adults,” officials said. “This was unknown to the adults as they prepared for their meeting.”
As other adult family members returned to the residence, they noticed the child was not present, and they began searching the residence and surrounding areas.
The boy was then discovered in the van by the father. It is unclear how long she had been in the van before being found.
“The investigation is ongoing and will be screened by the Washington County Attorney’s Office for potential criminal liability as part of standard protocol,” officials said Monday. “However, the initial investigation appears the incident was a tragic accident.”
KidsAndCars.org has now documented 15 children who have died this year in the U.S. due to heatstroke in a vehicle. Since 1996, at least 12 child deaths due to vehicular heatstroke have occurred in Utah, Kidsandcars.org representatives said Monday.
Ed. note: The child referred to in this report was initially reported as a girl based on an email to St. George News from kidsandcars.org. Washington County Sheriff’s Office later confirmed the child as a boy, and this report is corrected accordingly.
The toddler and his family had been visiting from Preston, Idaho, as part of a family reunion, Washington County Sheriff’s Lt. David Crouse said. More than five families and between 25-35 children had been temporarily staying at a residence in Winchester Hills for the reunion.
Using multiple vehicles, the families traveled to St. George Saturday morning for an activity before returning to the Winchester Hills residence at approximately 10:30 a.m., officials said.
“Based on the initial stages of this investigation, you have multiple family members there with multiple kids, sharing cousins, and the common theme was that, you know, everybody had a little of everybody else’s kids in the vehicle,” Crouse said.
The 2-year-old boy and several other children were passengers of a family-owned, coach-style van that was driven by a family member who was not the 2-year-old boy’s parents, Crouse said, adding that the child had not been placed in a car seat or child restraint device.
It is suspected that the 2-year-old child had fallen asleep during the return trip and did not exit the vehicle with the other children and adults, Crouse said, noting that this was not known to the adults as they prepared to go back to St. George to attend a “religious meeting” for adults.
The children remained in the care of several teenage children as well as an adult neighbor while the adults attended their meeting.
“Due to the (number) of children that were still going to be at the residence there, you know, the adults on scene felt like it was important enough to actually seek out additional child care responsibility,” Crouse said, “so, in addition to the older-teenage children that were in the home, another adult neighbor was asked to come over and help supervise the children.”
As the adult family members returned to the residence Saturday evening, they noticed the 2-year-old boy was not present, and they began searching the residence and surrounding areas. The boy was then discovered in the van by the father.
Law enforcement and emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene at approximately 6:34 p.m. Saturday. When first responders arrived on scene, they determined the child was deceased.
“At the time of the child’s discovery,” Crouse said, “it appears he had been in the vehicle for at least six hours based on the timeline established during interviews with witnesses and family members.”
While the incident appears to have been a “tragic accident,” the Sheriff’s Office said, the investigation is ongoing and will be screened by the Washington County Attorney’s Office for potential criminal liability as part of standard protocol.
ST. GEORGE — A 65-year-old man was arrested Saturday after he allegedly pulled a knife on a woman and her fiancé in a St. George Walmart parking lot, after which the woman’s fiancé collapsed into a seizure.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a brandishing weapon report at the Bloomington Walmart located at 2610 S. Pioneer Road, according to a probable cause statement filed by the St. George Police Department in support of the arrest.
Michael Anthony Cappuccio, of Thompson Falls, Montana, booking photo posted June 24, 2017 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
The woman reported that she and her fiancé had been walking on the sidewalk near the Suntran bus stop at the south entrance of the Walmart parking lot when a man – later identified as Michael Anthony Cappuccio – pulled out a knife from the sheath on his hip and began to wave it around at them, the report stated.
“He told them to get back and stay away from him,” the arresting officer wrote in a sworn statement. “He was yelling these commands as he was waiving his knife around.”
Another witness told police he was getting off the bus when he saw the couple walk past Cappuccio, who then stood up and began waving the knife in the air. Cappuccio advanced toward the woman all the while telling them to get back, according to the statement.
The witnesses crossed the street away from the incident and called police.
After police were called, the woman’s fiancé reportedly walked into Walmart and collapsed into a seizure, the report stated. He was subsequently transferred to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George.
When police arrived on scene, they identified the suspect as Cappuccio.
“From previous incidents, I knew that Michael (Cappuccio) has an aggressive personality and also carries a fix blade knife on his hip,” the arresting officer wrote in a sworn statement.
When police conducted a Terry frisk and didn’t locate the knife, they asked Cappuccio where the knife was, according to the statement. Cappuccio reportedly said he had “gotten rid of it.”
Cappuccio was arrested and transported to the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility.
The Washington County Attorney’s Office filed an information in 5th District Court accusing Cappuccio of two counts of third-degree felony aggravated assault.
He is scheduled to appear before 5th District G. Michael Westfall Tuesday afternoon for an initial court appearance.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
ST. GEORGE — Police responding to an assault in St. George Sunday were able to solve a stolen firearm case after a gun dropped to the ground during a fight between two men.
Nebiat Tadesse Sammino, of St. George, Utah, booking photo posted June 25, 2017 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
Officers were dispatched to a report of an assault in progress at 1490 E. Foremaster Drive where two men were allegedly fighting, according to a probable cause statement filed by the St. George Police Department in support of the arrest.
During the fight between a man identified as 19-year-old Nebiat Tadesse Sammino, of St. George, and another man, Sammino allegedly dropped a Ruger 9mm gun on the ground, the arresting officer wrote in a sworn statement. Police later learned that the firearm had been reported stolen from a vehicle earlier this year.
While interviewing witnesses and those involved in the altercation, police received a theft report in which several items had been stolen from an individual in St. George including an iPhone, credit card, wallet and laptop, according to the statement. Police learned that purchases had been made on the stolen credit card.
When officers detained Sammino and searched him for additional weapons, the stolen credit card and wallet was found to be in Sammino’s possession, the report stated.
Acquaintances of Sammino’s reportedly told officers they had seen Sammino use the stolen credit card to make purchases and that they had also seen Sammino with a black laptop, according to the statement. Sammino had allegedly told one of the witnesses that he got the laptop the night before but it was locked with a password.
“(A witness) told investigators that (Sunday) afternoon, Nebiat had pointed towards an apartment and stated ‘me and clumsy went in there last night,’” the officer wrote in the statement. “(The witness) understood this to mean that Nebiat had stolen stuff out of that building as he had bragged about stealing stuff in the past. Nebiat later told (the witness) that he had stolen the laptop (Saturday) night and some beer from Walmart.”
When police questioned Sammino, he allegedly admitted to being in possession of the stolen property and subsequently allowed officers to retrieve the property from his residence, according to the statement.
Sammino was arrested and transported to the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility.
The Washington County Attorney’s Office filed an information in 5th District Court accusing Sammino of two second-degree felony counts of theft by receiving stolen property and burglary of a dwelling; third-degree felony unlawful acquisition of a financial card; class A misdemeanor theft by receiving stolen property; and a class B misdemeanor for using a stolen financial card for goods.
Sammino appeared before 5th District Judge John Walston Wednesday afternoon for his initial court appearance. He is scheduled to make his next court appearance on July 3.
Sammino was also arrested in March on theft-related charges to which he entered a no contest plea in abeyance in May.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
ST. GEORGE — Police are searching for a suspect caught on surveillance video allegedly starting a brush fire early Friday morning in Moab.
See surveillance video in media player above
Police are searching for a suspect caught on surveillance video allegedly starting a brush fire early Saturday morning in Moab, Utah, June 2017 | Photo courtesy of Moab City Police Department, St. George News
The video shows the suspect lighting brush on fire just after midnight then riding away on a bicycle through a parking lot, according to a statement issued by the Moab City Police Department.
“The fire was close to a residence and a local business,” Moab City Police officials said.
The suspect is described as a slender male with facial hair.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Moab City Police Department at 435-259-8938.
Sydne Smythe posted the following message Tuesday on the video shown on the Police Department’s Facebook page:
That yard he lit on fire is my yard it’s less than 100 m away from a sleeping two-year-old and his father please help in identifying this man it could’ve turned out a lot worse for my family
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings.
ST. GEORGE — Police are reminding citizens to be alert and know how to identify counterfeit $100 bills that are being passed in the area.
“We were asked by a local business to share this picture in hopes of alerting others that people are trying to pass these counterfeit bills here in St. George,” the St. George Police Department said on its Facebook page Thursday.
In the post, the Police Department posted the following picture, asking: “Are you able to identify what is wrong with this $100 bill? (*Hint* there’s a lot!)”
Police posted a photo on Facebook Thursday of a counterfeit $100 bill passed in St. George, asking the public: “Are you able to identify what is wrong with this $100 bill?” | Photo courtesy of the St. George Police Department, St. George News
Businesses and the public can better protect themselves from receiving counterfeit bills by checking for security threads, microprinting, watermarks, color-shifting ink, red and blue threading and if the first letter in the serial number coordinates with the correct year of print, authorities said.
In bills issued from 1996 to 2013 – like the ones reportedly being passed in St. George – individuals can take the following steps to help spot a fake $100 bill.
U.S. $100 note | Photo courtesy of the U.S. Currency Education Program website, St. George News
Notice the color-shifting ink. Tilt the note to see the numeral “100” in the lower-right corner of the front of the bill shift from green to black.
Look for the portrait watermark. Hold the bill to light and look for a faint image of Benjamin Franklin in the blank space to the right of the portrait. The image is visible from both sides of the bill.
Take note of the security thread. Hold the bill to light to see an embedded thread running vertically to the left of the portrait. The thread is imprinted with the letters “USA” and the numeral “100” in an alternating pattern and is visible from both sides of the bill. The thread glows pink when illuminated by ultraviolet light.
Feel for raised printing. Move your finger along the bill’s surface to feel the raised printing, which gives genuine Federal Reserve notes their distinctive texture.
Spot the microprinting. Look carefully – magnification may be necessary – to see the small printed text “USA 100” within the numeral in the lower left corner and “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” in the line in the left lapel of Franklin’s coat.
Businesses can also use a security pen to check the bills received from customers. The pen is a device used to apply an iodine-based ink to banknotes in an attempt to determine their authenticity. However, authorities said businesses shouldn’t rely solely on the pen.
“Counterfeit detection pens are not always accurate and may give you false results, which is why we recommend relying on security features such as the watermark and security thread,” according to the United States government.
Police are asking anyone who comes across one of the fake bills to get as much information as possible on the person passing the bill and call the St. George Police Department at 435-627-4300.
