BRIGHAM CITY, Utah, April 19, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — A 44-year-old Brigham City man was arrested early Sunday morning following a multi-hour SWAT operation.
At 7:44 p.m. Saturday, a woman called Brigham City police, saying that Jeremy Ruben Perea “had been drinking and made threats to blow up the house.”
Brigham City Police responded to the area of 100 South and 500 West, where the victim and the man she was calling about reside in separate apartments in the same structure.
The woman said Perea had been making threats and was trying to kick down a metal door that separates the apartments.
Perea “was yelling at the female to let the dogs out because he was going to blow up the house with her in it,” the arrest document says.
The woman told officers Perea was intoxicated and had threatened her with a knife in the past when he was drunk, the statement says.
The woman told police she believed the door was about to give way, and that Perea had gotten bad news recently about an unrelated matter and was upset.
“Patrol officers responded to the home and met with the female resident, who had fled. It is believed that Jeremy had begun tampering with gas lines in the home. Patrol officers responding could smell the strong odor of natural gas emanating from the home as they approached.
“Patrol officers made phone contact with Jeremy, who repeated the same threats to them, telling them to get back before he blows up the house. Patrol officers fell back away from the home and established a perimeter around the home.”
SWAT officers and negotiators arrived to assess and monitor the situation, the statement says.
“A search warrant was authorized. Negotiators were able to continue conversing with Jeremy, who ultimately exited the home himself and was taken into custody without incident. The search warrant was executed, and the search team was able to document that gas lines to the double water heaters in the home had been disconnected and were in the open position.”
Perea was interviewed and, post Miranda, told police that he and the woman had been in an off-and-on relationship for two years, and he had been upset when she began communicating with another man. There had been previous verbal and physical violence incidents between them, Perea said, adding that he had been charged and ultimately was sentenced to probation.
Perea said he had been drinking whiskey Saturday, and the verbal fight ensued through the metal door that separated their apartments.
“During that argument he told her to leave the home with the dog,” his charging document says. “He claimed to not recall threatening to blow up the home, but did acknowledge making that statement to police.”
Perea was arrested for investigation of alleged aggravated assault, a third-degree felony. He was booked into the Box Elder County jail and ordered held without bail.
Box Elder County jail. Image: Google Streets
