CEDAR CITY, Utah, Oct. 12, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A Cedar City couple has been taken into custody in Washington state after a Utah judge issued arrest warrants in connection with the Utah homicide of the woman’s 2-year-old son.
Arrested were Brittany Juanita Hall and Gavin Michael Haar, both 25. Hall’s son, identified in court papers as C.L, died on June 12 of this year.
Haar was arrested for murder, a first-degree felony; and two counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony.
Hall was arrested for two counts of child abuse, one a second-degree felony and one a third; and for obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
Both were booked into the Snohomish County Jail, in Everett, Washington.
The death of C.L. was determined to be a homicide, according to charging documents. The cause of death was internal bleeding caused by blunt force trauma to the abdomen. The body was covered with bruises, according to Haar’s indictment.
The couple originally told police they were camping in the mountains on the day of the accident, and that C.L. was hurt in a four-wheeler accident, the indictment states.
Investigators determined that at the time in question, Hall was at her job, at a local grocery store, and that C.L. was in the care of Haar.
Investigators also found texts exchanged between Hall and Haar at the time. Haar was threatening to beat C.L. if Hall didn’t come home, then texted about 45 minutes later that C.L. had stopped breathing.
Haar also instructed Hall to say the toddler was injured while four-wheeling, investigators said.
The couple will remain jailed in Washington pending extradition.
