JUAB COUNTY, April 17, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Three adults and two teenage juveniles are in custody after what law enforcement officials believe was a multi-county crime spree that involved a stolen vehicle, stolen firearms, a hit-and-run accident, drug possession, and possibly other crimes.
The suspected crimes began Thursday night in Millard County, where a resident reported a vehicle and its contents were stolen overnight, Millard County Sheriff Richard Jacobson told Gephardt Daily.
“We started investigating that this morning, and apparently the suspects — we have no names yet — have just been taken into custody. Apparently they surfaced in neighboring counties after potential crimes in those neighboring counties, Juab and Utah counties.
Juab County Sheriff officials became involved after the missing vehicle was reported to have been involved in a hit-and-run accident, Juab County Sheriff Douglas Anderson told Gephardt Daily.
“We heard about a hit-and-run crash in Nephi, and we were helping the Nephi Police investigate,” Anderson said. “The broadcast went out that this vehicle may have been involved in a burglary with stolen firearms, and we haven’t confirmed it, but it may also have been involved in a drive-by shooting, which probably would have been in Utah County.”
Utah County officials could not confirm that detail, but the two sheriffs contacted said details are still emerging and a number of law enforcement agencies are collaborating in hopes of getting the full story.
Anderson said a deputy spotted the suspect vehicle at a gas station in Eureka on State Route 6, and officers from multiple agencies, including the Utah Highway Patrol, Santaquin Police and two sheriff’s offices worked to make the arrests.
Traveling in the car were three adults and the two teen juveniles, Anderson said. One or more firearms were found in the vehicle, which the sheriff said he believed to be an SUV.
Officers did not yet have names of the suspects, Anderson said at about 3:45 p.m. Friday, which he said was about 30 to 60 minutes after the arrest.
Juab County charges to be filed against the adults will include a firearms theft charge, a possession of a firearm by a restricted person charge, and a hit-and-run charge out of Nephi. Anderson said he didn’t know what charges might be filed by Juab or Utah County officials, and the investigation was still in its earliest stages.
Anderson said the juveniles may be booked into youth detention or may be released to their guardians, depending on whether required legal criteria for detention are met.
Gephardt Daily will have more information as details become available.
