MESQUITE, Nev. – The suspect involved in a multistate crime spree that came to an end in Mesquite over the weekend has been identified as Siosifa L. Militoni, 33, a Pacific Islander who resided out of state.
Sandra Sosa of the Clark County Coroner’s Office confirmed Militoni’s identity during a telephone call with St. George News on Monday. Sosa said that family notifications have been made, but Militoni’s place of residence is still under investigation.
Militoni died from a single gunshot wound to the head and it has been ruled a suicide. He died following a pursuit that began in St. George and continued south into Mesquite, Nevada, after authorities were notified that Militoni had just been involved in an armed robbery near Nelson Circle and Bloomington Drive in St. George.
The suspect reportedly exited the car and attempted to break into a nearby residence when he was confronted by a homeowner.
Militoni, a convicted felon, allegedly threatened the homeowner with a weapon before leaving in a black sedan that police learned had been stolen out of Spanish Fork. A St. George Police officer spotted the vehicle heading south along I-15 near Exit 2, which is where the pursuit began after the driver refused to pull over and continued south at a high rate of speed.
Washington County Sheriff deputies joined the chase as it continued into Arizona and Nevada, according to a news release issued by Sgt. Wyatt Oliver with the Mesquite Police Department.
Militoni had reportedly committed several serious and violent crimes in Mesquite, Las Vegas and St. George throughout the week, including purse snatching, vehicle theft, firing a gun into a vehicle and armed robbery, and officers also learned Militoni had reportedly fired several rounds into a vehicle during an incident in Las Vegas on Friday and was still armed, Oliver said in the release.
St. George Police Department requested assistance from Mesquite police in the pursuit, during which the suspect swerved his vehicle in the direction of the patrol units. Minutes later, a set of spike strips were deployed near mile marker 121 by officers in Mesquite.
The strips were successful in hitting the target, causing damage to the tires which slowed the suspect, the release states.
Several officers attempted to use their vehicles to immobilize the sedan near Exit 120, but the suspect veered off the interstate and drove into a casino parking lot where he reportedly carjacked a white SUV at gunpoint from an elderly couple, according to the news release.
Officers in Mesquite quickly spotted the SUV and pursued the suspect onto a nearby golf course where the vehicle became stuck. The suspect jumped from the vehicle and, still holding the gun, ran from officers while an air support unit from Utah started tracking the suspect from the air.
The helicopter crew advised the ground units that the suspect was attempting to hide in the thick brush and was still holding the gun, and just as officers began surrounding the area where the suspect had taken cover, they heard a gunshot. They found the man dead minutes later.
Mesquite officers secured the area and collected evidence while coordinating with the other agencies involved in the investigation. The coroner responded and transported the suspect’s body to Las Vegas for an autopsy. On Monday, the coroner’s office confirmed the man died of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
“This suspect exhibited a flagrant disregard for both his safety and of the community at large,” Mesquite Police Sgt. Oliver said in the release. “It was absolutely critical to put an end to the suspect’s violent criminal activities, which had escalated into a relentless spree of lawlessness,”
Oliver went on to say that because of how extremely dangerous and rapidly evolving the incident was, it was the seamless coordination of multiple agencies that was paramount, adding the police department also wanted to thank the public for steering clear of the incident which allowed “us to carry out our duties safely and effectively.”
This report is based on statements from police and family members and may not contain the full scope of findings.
St. George News reporter E. George Gould contributed to this report.
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