ST. GEORGE, Utah, April 5, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Charging documents filed in the arrest Wednesday of Jason Fierro reveal more information about the incident for which St. George police issued an alert Tuesday, asking for information on the armed robbery suspect’s location, but warning the public against approaching the suspect.
A probable cause statement filed by an officer of the St. George Police Department says that just after midnight on Monday, officers were dispatched to the area of 20 N. Red Cliffs Drive on a report of shots fired.
“The caller reported two gunshots had been fired and it sounded as if people were fleeing the area,” the statement says. “Officers responded and observed the front door to the business, Sunglass Hut, was shattered. Outside the door were two spent 9mm casings.
“The manager of the store responded and went through the store with officers and reported that there were multiple items taken from the store that had a total value of $3,000.”
After viewing footage and further investigation, officers “determined the suspect was Jason Fierro.”
St. George put out a social media alert on Tuesday, asking followers to provide information on Fierro, but not to contact him as he was considered “armed and dangerous.”
Wednesday morning at about 7:45 a.m., “SGPD officers observed Jason Fierro walking on Dixie Downs Road near Red Shadows Mobile Home Park,” the probable cause statement says.
“Jason was arrested and taken into custody. During a search incident to arrest, officers located a Glock 17 9mm handgun in Jason’s waistband. Jason also had a high capacity magazine which was fully loaded in his front right pocket. Officers also located a syringe in his front left pocket that contained a substance that tested positive for heroin and a small bag of raw marijuana in the same pocket.”
Fierro was interviewed at the St. George Police Department.
“Jason admitted that on the morning of April 3, 2023 he was under the influence of heroin and broke into Sunglass Hut. He admitted that he fired two rounds from his Glock 17 9mm pistol and entered the store through the front door. He admitted that he stole multiple pairs of sunglasses from inside the store. Jason also admitted that he was a restricted person and unable to lawfully possess a firearm, he has a domestic violence conviction from 2020. This was confirmed by running his criminal history.”
Officers also found Fierro had two active warrants for his arrest.
“Jason has also informed officers he does strange things when under the influence of said controlled substances,” charging documents say. “With this knowledge, along with the fact that a firearm with ammunition was found on his person during his arrest, it is clear that Jason is a real danger to the public and likely to himself. Jason himself informed officers during the transport to the Washington County Jail that he needed to be held in jail for a long period of time to get himself clean as he knew that if he were to be released soon, he would fall back into his dangerous behavior and drug use.”
Fierro faces charges of:
- Possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a second-degree felony
- Theft, a third-degree felony
- Burglary, a third-degree felony
- Criminal mischief – -intentional damage, deface, destroy property, a third-degree felony
- Possession of controlled substance, marijuana/spice, a class B misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
A judge ordered that Fierro be held without bail in the Purgatory Correctional Facility.
