BOUNTIFUL, Utah, June 14, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — Initial charges have been filed against a man police say fled with one of his three children after officers arrived to take custody legal of the children.
Suspect Dustin R. Matthews, 37, became combative when he was found with his 3-year-old child, and fought with an officer until he had been Tased three times and taken into custody, his arrest documents say.
Matthews faces preliminary charges of:
- Child kidnapping, a first-degree felony
- Endangerment of a child or vulnerable adult, a third-degree felony
- Child abuse with injury, intentional or knowing, a class A misdemeanor
- Obstruction of justice, a class A misdemeanor
- Failure to stop vessel at the command of a peace officer, a class A misdemeanor
- Two counts of failure to stop at the command of a peace officer, a class A misdemeanor
- Assault on a peace officer, a class A misdemeanor
- Custodial interference, a class B misdemeanor
- Unlawful detention of a minor, a class B misdemeanor
- Use or possession of a controlled substances, marijuana or spice, a class B misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
Matthews’ probable cause statement says officers had been notified of a court order to remove three children, ages 8, 6, and 3, from their father. Officers were positioned outside the residence when Matthews pulled up in a vehicle with the three children, Matthews’ probable cause statement says.
A detective “made contact with Matthews and informed him of the court order and instructed Matthews to step away from the children,” the statement says. “Mathews picked up his 3 year old and attempted to enter his residence.”
After being ordered to stop and not enter the residence, “Matthews then ran around several cars and entered the residence. Upon my arrival, Detective Beecher was positioned at the front door with Matthews’ father, who would not allow Detective Beecher or myself to enter the residence,” the Bountiful City Police statement says.
“Several minutes later Mathews’ father advised that Matthews had left the residence with his 3-year-old child.”
A consent search of the residence was completed, and police began to search the surrounding area.
“Matthews was located several blocks from his residence with his 3 year old. Matthews was approached by an officer who instructed Matthews to stop and step way from the child when Matthews then ran toward a neighboring residence.”
Matthews, still holding the young child, refused to comply. The officer tried to take physical control of Matthews, and he dropped the child, the statement says.
Matthews reportedly fought with the officer, and was Tased three times “prior to submitting to custody.”
Paramedics checked out the father and child at the scene, and found no injuries, Bountiful City Police Lt. Dave Edwards told Gephardt Daily Monday night.
Post Miranda, Matthews said “he was told of the court order and intentionally refused to comply with Detective Beecher and intentionally left the residence with his daughter in an attempt to obstruct service of the court order,” the probable cause statement says.
At the jail, Matthews was found to have a plastic jar containing a green leafy substance, consistent with marijuana, on his person, the police statement says.
“Dustin Matthews has several violent convictions for domestic violence, DV in the presence of a child, assault, assault on a peace officer and stalking,” the police statement notes. “Matthews has made several threats concerning killing his family, even asking his mother to take possession of his firearms because he ‘was afraid he would use them on his family.’
“Matthews has made recent statements that he would take his children to Texas and his ex-wife would ‘never see the children again.’ Matthews was convicted of assaulting his ex-wife, the mother of his children while she was 33 weeks pregnant.”
There is a current, active protection order against Matthews for domestic violence and stalking, the police statement notes. Matthews is being held without bail in the Davis County jail.
