ST. GEORGE — A St. George man and woman were arrested during a traffic stop in Mesquite Friday after police recognized the vehicle they were in from an earlier business theft.

An officer on routine patrol spotted a vehicle traveling on Pioneer Boulevard in Mesquite Friday that matched the description of a vehicle that had reportedly been involved in a theft at a Mesquite business a couple days prior, according to a media statement issued by the Mesquite Police Department Monday.

The officer initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle and identified the driver, 36-year-old Jeramie O’Conner, as the male suspect allegedly involved in the earlier business theft, according to the statement.

While speaking with the driver, the report stated, police observed evidence of drug and alcohol use by both the driver and his female passenger, 38-year-old Janee Wall.

O’Conner was found to have an active warrant for his arrest and was safely taken into custody.

According to the statement, the officer’s investigation then led to the discovery of illegal drugs, items of drug paraphernalia and an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle.

“The officer also found property inside the vehicle which matched items recently stolen from other local businesses within the last few days,” police said.

O’Conner was arrested and charged with possession of drugs (meth) which may not be introduced into interstate commerce, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with an expired driver’s license, expired vehicle registration and no proof of vehicle insurance.

Wall was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage while in a vehicle.

“Jeramie is also a suspect in other recent thefts which have occurred in the Mesquite area,” Mesquite Police said. “The investigations into these theft incidents are ongoing.”

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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