SANDY, Utah, June 10, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Sandy City police took four men into custody Friday night for aggravated burglary and intoxication after a caller reported the suspects were trying to kick in an apartment door.
At about 10:07 p.m., a resident of the Axio Apartments at 8373 S. Bellingham Drive reported four men trying to kick in a door near his apartment, court documents say.
Sandy City police officers arrived with a K-9 and located the men in the parking lot, inside a vehicle.
“The driver of the vehicle attempted to flee the area with the vehicle and the passengers,” the men’s nearly identical affidavits say. “Officers had overhead emergency lights engaged and multiple officers were giving commands and telling the driver and the occupants of the vehicle to stop. The vehicle continued to attempt to leave. Officer Unrein threw spikes under the vehicle and the vehicle became disabled.”
All four men were taken into custody. They were identified as:
- Cesar Carlon, 33, twice convicted of felony burglary
- Nicholas Eugene Clements (driver), 34, on federal probation, previously convicted of felony robbery and domestic violence
- Enrique Ojeda, 33, on federal probation after conviction of felony drug possession with intent to distribute
- Kayden Weight, 25, with no relevant criminal history
All four men were arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony, and intoxication, a class C misdemeanor.
Clements faces additional potential charges of transaction of a dangerous weapon by a class I restricted person, a third-degree felony, and failure to stop or respond at command of police, a third-degree felony, court documents say.
Police said the apartment resident was intoxicated and not able to give many details, but said she did not know the men taken into custody. Her male guest said he had flown into town to purchase a vehicle, and was tired, and had been asleep at the time of the incident.
Officers did note kick marks on the door and a little blood, the suspects’ probable cause statement says.
After being read their Miranda Rights, Ojeda and Carlon declined to speak with police. Clements and Weight did agree to talk with officers, the statements say.
Clements told police he and the other three men had been drinking, and his friend, Carlon, was upset about a man he said had been insulting and threatening his wife by phone.
Carlon asked for a ride home, and Clements said Carlon “made it clear they were going to where the male was who was talking about Cesar’s wife,” court documents say.
“Nicholas stated Cesar wanted to teach him a lesson, referring to the male talking about Cesar’s wife. Nicholas stated he, Enrique, and Kayden understood what Cesar was planning to do and how it would involve assaulting the male inside the apartment. Nicholas stated they all arrived together in the same vehicle and went to the apartment where they took turns attempting to kick the door in to get to the male who was talking about Cesar’s wife. Nicholas stated they were unsuccessful in entering the apartment and they went back to the vehicle which was registered to Nicholas.”
Clements said the four men were preparing to leave when confronted by officers, and “the other three occupants tried to convince him to flee from the police. Nicholas stated the only thing he knew about the male was he was from out of town and was here to purchase a vehicle.”
Weight told police he did not know Carlon before that night, “but they had all been hanging out and learned Cesar was upset with someone and rode with all of them to the apartment complex with the understanding there was going to be some form of confrontation.”
Weight also said he had a gun in the car, in a lunch box, but had not taken it into the building.
All four suspects were booked into the Salt Lake County jail, and were ordered to be held without bail.
