ST. GEORGE — Shots reportedly fired during a street race on Bluff Street led to a pursuit through two states that ultimately ended in Mesquite, Nevada, where three individuals were arrested early Wednesday morning.
St. George Police Officer Tiffany Mitchell told St. George News an officer observed two vehicles that appeared to be racing at a high rate of speed on Bluff Street shortly after 1 a.m.
The officer activated the emergency lights on his patrol vehicle to stop the cars, and seconds later, the officer heard what sounded like gunshots going off as the vehicles — a black Volkswagen Jetta and a white Kia Sol — headed south towards the corner of South 400 West in St. George.
When the Jetta male driver pulled over and stopped, he told officers that shots had been fired from the Kia that did not pull over but sped off heading south on Bluff Street. With minimal traffic at that late hour, the officer left the traffic stop to pursue the Kia, since the shots reportedly were fired from that vehicle.
As police units headed south on Interstate 15 behind the Kia, authorities south of the Utah border were notified of the pursuit in progress.
The chase continued through Arizona and into Nevada, where officers in Mesquite were deployed a set of spike strips that punctured three of the Kia’s tires, ultimately ending the pursuit just north of the Mesquite Boulevard.
Once the car was stopped, the three occupants, two adults and one minor, were taken into custody at gunpoint and arrested by police.
The driver was identified as Joshua Wesley Rippetoe, 19, of Panaca, Nevada, while one passenger was identified as Dallin Lee Dangelo, 18, of Pioche, Nevada. The second passenger, a 17-year old, was turned over to his parents and his case was sent to the juvenile court to be reviewed. The teen’s identity was not released since he is a minor.
Rippetoe and Dangelo were both booked into jail in Mesquite on a fugitive from justice charge while they await extradition back to Utah to face any pending charges filed in Washington County.
Mitchell said that during a search of the vehicle, officers found an open container of alcohol, along with drugs and drug paraphernalia.
While processing the scene on Bluff Street near the corner of South 400 West, Mitchell said, officers recovered several shell casings but did not find any bullet strikes or damage to nearby buildings while processing the area.
She added that residents can call the police department at 435-627-4300 to report any damage or other evidence that may have been missed during the initial canvass conducted shortly after the incident.
No other details were available at the time of this report and no injuries were reported.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. 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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