2019 file photograph of St. George Police responding to a taking pictures incident on 1000 West that was allegedly a ‘drug deal gone unhealthy,” in accordance police, St. George, Utah, April 10 | Picture by Mori Kessler, St. George Information
ST. GEORGE — Two suspects have been arrested, every dealing with greater than a dozen felony prices for a string of auto burglaries and fraudulent bank card purchases that, police say, had been made at numerous companies all through Washington County.
The incident started on Aug. 22, when officers responded to an incident involving a car housebreaking and monetary card theft in St. George after receiving a report that greater than 10 monetary playing cards had been taken from the reporting occasion’s car, in response to the possible trigger assertion filed in help of the arrests.
The reporting occasion additionally informed officers the playing cards had been used at numerous native companies, and after acquiring photos of the male suspect, later recognized as Paul Fleming, 38, of Las Vegas, Nevada, the caller confronted the suspect at one of many shops who then fled instantly following the confrontation, in response to the report.
The report additionally states that after being confronted by retailer staff, the second suspect, later recognized as Kellie Jean Anderson, 43, of Salt Lake Metropolis, ran from the enterprise dropping the pockets that also contained the reporting occasion’s bank cards.
Via the course of the investigation, officers realized that one of many transactions was linked to a neighborhood motel. When officers searched the room listed on the transaction, they discovered extra monetary playing cards, checks, instruments, id paperwork and drug paraphernalia.
The id paperwork consisted of eight authorities issued ID’s, one Division of Protection identification, 4 Utah Driver’s Licenses, one California Driver’s License and a social safety card.
Officers contacted every of the authorized house owners of the ID’s and paperwork, and all reported the objects had been taken when their automobiles had been damaged into.
Officers additionally discovered 10 monetary playing cards, positioned all through the motel room, that belonged to seven people, and in response to courtroom data, had been later confirmed by the house owners to have been stolen from out of automobiles as effectively.
Plenty of people contacted by police additionally reported fraudulent prices on their playing cards, and in response to witnesses, one of many suspects, Anderson, had tried to make use of one of many playing cards to buy $950 in merchandise earlier than she was confronted and the acquisition canceled.
Anderson’s confederate, Fleming, allegedly made purchases totaling almost $500 with the stolen bank cards.
Officers additionally found there have been a number of checks written from a checkbook taken throughout one of many break-ins, together with a receipt for $300 from a neighborhood retailer that matched the test quantity. Two checks with receipts hooked up had been additionally recovered from a trash can contained in the room.
As well as, officers arecovered $215 worth of instruments suspected to be stolen from proof gathered in the course of the investigation. This included a number of drills, a noticed, drill equipment and a welding helmet.
The mail recovered in the course of the search was addressed to one of many people that had their car damaged into. As officers continued to course of the proof, they had been in a position to match the property and objects recovered to 5 separate car burglaries.
Armed with photographs offered by native companies the place the fraudulent transactions came about, together with a reserving photograph offered by one other company, each suspects had been positively recognized by police.
On Wednesday, officers first positioned and arrested Fleming in St. George, after which Anderson, who was discovered to be staying at a neighborhood motel, was arrested later that very same day.
Fleming informed officers throughout an interview that he discovered the playing cards belonging to one of many victims mendacity in a car parking zone and admitted to utilizing them, however when questioned additional he requested an legal professional and the interview was terminated.
Anderson was questioned individually, and she or he indicated to officers that she knew Fleming was acquiring playing cards and property from automobiles, and in response to the report, additionally admitted to utilizing or trying to make use of the playing cards and checks however didn’t admit to breaking into the automobiles.
Officers later retrieved messages from Anderson’s cellular phone, together with one which referenced one of many car burglaries, whereby she allegedly informed Fleming that “he should have checked a glove box to try and get information to activate some cards,” the officer recounted within the report.
As soon as the interviews had been over, each suspects had been transported to the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility and every face prices together with 10 counts of buying a finance card with out consent, two counts of possession of a forgery machine and mail theft. Each additionally face 5 counts of auto housebreaking, one depend of possession of a number of ID paperwork, receiving stolen property and illegal use of a finance card, every a misdemeanor.
Anderson additionally faces a misdemeanor depend of possession of paraphernalia and is being held on $79,500 bail. Fleming is being held on $78,820 bail.
Individuals arrested or charged are presumed harmless till discovered responsible in a courtroom of regulation or as in any other case determined by a trier-of-fact.
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