ST. GEORGE — A local teen suspected of a string of thefts and vehicle burglaries was arrested over the weekend on dozens of charges that are under review by the county attorney’s office.
Brayden Joshua Telford, 18, of St. George, was booked Sunday morning into jail and faces 37 charges. He faces one second-degree felony theft of a firearm and 15 third-degree felony charges that include 14 counts of unlawful acquisition of a financial card and one count of failing to stop at command of police. He also faces 15 counts of vehicle burglary, two counts of possession of marijuana, one count of possession of a controlled substance, theft and possession of paraphernalia — each a misdemeanor.
The suspect reportedly was tied to a string of car burglaries following his arrest that was set in motion when officers were dispatched shortly after 7 a.m. to a suspicious person call at an apartment complex on South Hidden Valley Drive.
According to charging documents filed with the court, the caller reported seeing a suspect dressed in all black and donning a ski mask who appeared to be checking door handles to see if the cars were unlocked in the parking lot of the complex.
Responding officers arrived to find an individual who matched the description of the suspect walking through the parking lot of a nearby high school. He took off on foot as soon as the first patrol units approached, and following a short foot pursuit, the teen was taken into custody.
While detaining the suspect, officers noticed coins and financial cards spilling from the suspect’s pockets. When asked about the cards and coins, Telford reportedly told officers he had taken the items from more than a dozen vehicles, according to the report.
Telford told police that starting at about 4 a.m. that same day, he started checking for unlocked vehicles to search for valuables, which is when he came across not only the coins and bank cards. He said he also took sunglasses, shoes, prescription medication, marijuana and other items from multiple vehicles.
During a search of the suspect’s backpack, officers recovered 14 bank cards, designer shoes and three prescriptions that were not his, as well as other property.
In the meantime, officers learned of a handgun, nicotine and marijuana products and other suspicious items that were found at the suspect’s residence, all of which were later recovered by police.
The officer also noted that “Telford was initially cooperative and admitted to stealing all these items from unlocked vehicles.”
When confronted about the handgun, however, the suspect declined to speak to police any further. He was then transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility and booked into jail while the case was forwarded to the Washington County Attorney’s Office to be reviewed for charges. The investigation is ongoing.
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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