ST. GEORGE — A St. George man was arrested Friday on theft- and drug-related charges after a series of events led to the discovery of several stolen items.
The items were in the possession of 34-year-old Richard Gabriel Hess, according to St. George Police.
“(Hess) stole a bike from a couple here on vacation, and they actually saw it in his garage and called in, which led to this whole deal,” St. George Police Lona Trombley said.
Officers responded to a residential burglary Friday on the 200 North block of Country Lane where a woman reported that her $450 bicycle had been stolen from her garage the previous morning, according to a probable cause statement filed by the St. George Police Department in support of the arrest.
The woman told police that she saw her bike in the garage of a nearby residence, the arresting officer wrote in a sworn statement.
Police spoke with Hess, who was living in the garage where the bike was located, according to the statement. Hess allegedly told police he had found the bike the night before.
“While speaking to Richard (Hess), other items suspected to be stolen were observed,” the officer wrote in the statement. “A set of golf clubs valued at $2,260 were also located inside the garage and positively identified by the owner.”
“Later, a painter who is doing work in the complex, identified his Spraytech airless sprayer valued at $400 that was located inside the garage hanging on the wall,” the officer stated.
During his arrest, Hess actively resisted and struggled with officers, the report stated. He was transported and booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility.
Authorities obtained a search warrant to search the garage, where they found methamphetamine, marijuana, THC oil, a prescription drug named Diazepam and drug paraphernalia, according to the statement.
The Washington County Attorney’s Office filed an information in 5th District Court accusing Hess of three third-degree felony counts of theft by receiving stolen property, two class A misdemeanor counts of drug possession and four class B misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.
His theft charges were enhanced one degree due to previous theft convictions, the report stated.
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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If you are having stuff stolen in your neighborhood, look no further than the neighborhood Tweeker…Always the drugs.