2nd drug distribution arrest in a month for would-be shoplifter

WASHINGTON CITY – Less than a month after being arrested and charged with drug distribution, the same St. George man was arrested again Tuesday for drug distribution after officers responded to a shoplifting incident he was involved in at the Kohl’s Department Store in Washington City.

Patrick Collins, of St. George, Utah, booking photo posted Nov. 19, 2014 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff's Office
Patrick Collins, of St. George, Utah, booking photo posted Dec. 16, 2014 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office

Officers were dispatched to a retail theft in progress at Kohl’s, located at 650 W. Telegraph St. in Washington, where it was alleged that a man had concealed an electronic tablet, Washington City Police Officer Jerran Carter wrote in his probable cause statement supporting the arrest.

The man, later identified as 43-year-old Patrick Michael Collins, was observed entering the store’s dressing room with the merchandise, Carter said in the statement. After Collins left the dressing room, the dressing room was checked and an empty tablet box was located with the theft detection device removed.

Collins was observed placing the tablet on a store shelf in the children’s department, Carter said, where it was later recovered by officers.

Officers reviewed the store’s video surveillance footage, which showed Collins entering the dressing room with a tablet box and, several minutes later, exiting the dressing room without the tablet box, the statement said.

After Collins was placed under arrest for suspicion of retail theft, a search of his person was conducted, Carter said, at which point, officers located the tablet power cord and a metal magnetic container in his pocket. Located inside the metal container were distributable amounts of drugs that tested positive for methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana.

Collins was arrested and booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility. He was charged with two first-degree felonies for drug possession with intent to distribute; a second-degree felony for drug possession with intent to distribute; a class A misdemeanor for use or possession of drug paraphernalia; and two class B misdemeanors for retail theft and removal of a theft detection device.

All possession charges were enhanced due to the proximity of the Paul Mitchell Hair School. His bail is set at $52,040.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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14 Comments

  • mo ferguson December 18, 2014 at 1:44 pm

    Paul Mitchell Hair “School”…..someone should check out what some of those “hair students” are doing on their lunch and breaks. That is funny….a school.

    • Joe Smith December 18, 2014 at 4:35 pm

      Care to elaborate for us that aren’t ‘in the know’?

      • mo ferguson December 19, 2014 at 1:53 pm

        The same thing that goes on the night shift at All Connect.

        • Dana December 29, 2014 at 5:35 am

          Is that why they are always hiring?

    • Koolaid December 18, 2014 at 5:35 pm

      Not just hair school but maybe check what high school students are doing as well. Wonder if they might find there is a whole new meaning to “high” school?

  • sagemoon December 18, 2014 at 2:07 pm

    Dang tweeker/junkie.

  • Gopher Roper December 18, 2014 at 2:19 pm

    LOL years that is funny they definitely need to see what’s going on during breaks and lunch……. LOL

  • Missy December 18, 2014 at 4:55 pm

    WOW!!!! Paul Mitchell School and they enhance the charges.

  • ladybugavenger December 18, 2014 at 9:57 pm

    He should have gone to Paul mitchell’s instead of Kohls.

    • Gopher Roper December 19, 2014 at 8:41 am

      Oh well either way you look at it they ain’t nothing like free publicity. LOL

  • the dude December 19, 2014 at 6:33 am

    Looks like this guy needs a little Dixie justice.
    http://youtu.be/452XjnaHr1A

    • Koolaid December 19, 2014 at 12:21 pm

      Put him in a horse costume and park him in a stable in Hurricane.

  • Victoria December 28, 2014 at 11:16 pm

    How stupid!!
    Welcome to Utah!!!
    Only Utah would hike up a bail because this man is by a school!
    It would of been understandable if it was an Elementary, Middle or High School!!
    A Beauty School?! That’s some backward … Utah law!!!

    • koolaid December 29, 2014 at 6:31 am

      Just imagine if he had been dancing too. Dancing. … by a hair school…. unthinkable!

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