CEDAR CITY — Following a series of break-ins and carjackings by an armed suspect late Wednesday night, police arrested a 28-year-old Wyoming man early Thursday.
Update April 5, 11 a.m. to include booking photo and charges posted by Iron County Sheriff’s Office.
Shortly after midnight, the suspect, identified as Talon Sessions, 28, of Thayne, Wyoming, was arrested near 400 E. Hillside Place in Cedar City. After being taken to the hospital for medical clearance, he was subsequently booked into the Iron County Jail.
Sessions’ alleged crime spree began approximately three hours earlier. Just after 9 p.m., Cedar City Police Officers were notified by dispatchers of a criminal mischief incident at Cedar City High School.
“A witness reported hearing someone inside the school smashing and breaking things,” Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack said in a written statement emailed to media outlets Thursday morning.
Responding officers reportedly found an exterior window broken. After setting up a containment around the perimeter of the building, officers cleared the school but did not find the suspect.
“Video surveillance from inside the school showed a single, white male suspect who appeared to be carrying a handgun,” the police statement said. “It also showed him firing the gun inside the school and evidence showed he had fired into two windows. Additionally, the suspect fired into the locking mechanism of an interior door.”
A short time later, officers responded to a report of a carjacking in progress at an address on the 900 South block of 25 East.
“This suspect matched the description of the suspect observed inside the school,” the statement said, adding:
Officers responded to that area and found the armed suspect had entered an unlocked home and was confronted by the homeowner. At gunpoint, the suspect stole keys from the victim and started leaving in the victim’s vehicle. He abandoned the vehicle a short distance away and fled on foot.
Police said the suspect made at least four other attempts to enter homes and cars, as reported by residents in the neighborhood who found their doors left open.
At one point, the apparently thirsty suspect even entered a home, took a bottle of orange juice from the refrigerator and left, Womack said.
“The homeowner heard him in the house and found the guy in their kitchen,” Womack told Cedar City News. “He didn’t say a word.”
In addition to Cedar City Police, officers from several other agencies were called in to assist in locating and apprehending the suspect, including Enoch City Police, Iron County Sheriff’s Office, Parowan City Police, Southern Utah University Public Safety and Utah Highway Patrol.
A search of Utah court records didn’t result in a criminal history for Sessions in Utah. However, according to Wyoming television station KIFI Local News 8, Sessions is suspected of burglarizing a pharmacy in Thayne, Wyoming, in February. An 18-year-old man was arrested in March in connection with that incident, but Lincoln County authorities said Sessions was wanted and still at large.
According to the Iron County Jail bookings website, which posted Sessions’ photo shortly after 10:45 a.m. Thursday, he was booked on suspicion of several charges, including first-degree felony counts of aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary, third-degree felony counts of burglary and theft and misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass, criminal mischief and discharging a firearm. He is also listed as a fugitive from justice, according to the booking information.
Cedar City Police said the case is still active and more information may be forthcoming.
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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totally unhinged sort of character. I wonder if this was drug fueled or if he’s just that out of control