2 inmates face felony charges for crimes committed behind bars

WASHINGTON COUNTY – While one inmate at the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility was charged with felony assault on another inmate Sunday, another man faces felony charges for propelling a bodily substance at two deputies and a registered nurse on Wednesday.

Brad Donald Brooke, of LaVerkin, Utah, booking photo posted June 8, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Washington County Sheriff’s booking, St. George News
Brad Donald Brooke, of LaVerkin, Utah, booking photo posted June 8, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Washington County Sheriff’s booking, St. George News

Just before 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to the upper tier of A-Block to deal with an inmate, identified as Brad Donald Brooke, who was refusing to move out of the shower and return to his cell, according to a probable cause statement filed in support of the charges.

Brooke initially appeared willing to cooperate and allowed deputies to place handcuffs on him, the statement said. However, when they attempted to move him, he began to spit – spitting on two deputies and a registered nurse.

Brooke, who is serving time for drugs, theft and burglary, was charged with two third-degree felonies for propelling an object at deputies and a class A misdemeanor for propelling a bodily substance.

Brooke was also charged on March 29 with a third-degree felony for assault by a prisoner.

Nafanua Ponafala, of St. George, Utah, booking photo posted June 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Washington County Sheriff’s booking, St. George News
Nafanua Ponafala, of St. George, Utah, booking photo posted June 7, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Washington County Sheriff’s booking, St. George News

On Sunday, Nafanua Ponafala, 33, of St. George, who is serving time for drug offenses, was charged with a third-degree felony for assault by a prisoner after punching another inmate in the face.

Deputies received word of an inmate assault in the lower tier of F-Block at approximately 6:30 p.m., according to a probable cause statement filed in support of the charges.

After reviewing surveillance footage, deputies recognized the inmate who threw the punch as Ponafala but did not recognize the inmate who was assaulted, the statement said, so they went to F-Block to see if they could find anyone with a facial injury.

Deputies observed an inmate with cuts on his nose that appeared to be swollen, the statement said, and the inmate admitted he had been assaulted but would not say by whom. After being medically cleared by a nurse, the inmate was moved to K-Block.

When deputies spoke with Ponafala, they observed the knuckles on his left hand appeared discolored and swollen, the statement said. Ponafala admitted to punching the other inmate in the face.

The new charges have been added to existing charges the two men were already serving jail time for.

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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2 Comments

  • fun bag June 10, 2015 at 12:39 pm

    Brad Donald Brooke looks like he belongs in a mental ward…

    • AnotherReader June 10, 2015 at 7:22 pm

      You would certainly be the expert in that field…..

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