Police: St. George tire shop burglar also stole multiple vehicles, looted $1 in change

Stock image of a person committing vehicle theft | Photo by djedzura/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A man who broke into a tire store in St. George last month also stole a truck in Springdale and a van in St. George and broke into a recreational vehicle in Hurricane.

And he bought a soda.

Christopher Michael Bishop of LaVerkin, Utah, bookings photo from April 27, 2018 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

After Christopher Michael Bishop, 32, of LaVerkin, attended his preliminary hearing Monday for burglary charges stemming from an April 27 break-in at Sunrise Tire on Red Cliffs Drive in St. George, police said they were able to pin a couple more crimes on Bishop that happened before the break-in.

Read more: Tire store burglary caught on tape; suspect arrested 

According to police, Bishop also stole a Chevrolet truck from a ranch in Springdale before breaking in to the tire shop. When police asked Bishop in the Purgatory Correctional Facility about the reported theft, he allegedly admitted to the crime and said, “Yup, guilty,” according to the probable cause statement by Springdale Police.

Bishop also allegedly rummaged through some cars and stole a van near the Red Rock Garage at 4204 S. River Road on April 21. Security camera footage that was reviewed after Bishop was already arrested for the tire shop burglary helped police determine that he allegedly entered a Budget Rental van on the business property and helped his dog get into the front seat, according to the probable cause statement by St. George Police.

After his dog was inside the van, Bishop allegedly rummaged through three other parked vehicles that were open on the property. After around 10 minutes of searching, Bishop allegedly stole $1 in change from one of the cars, which he used to buy a soda from a vending machine at Red Rock Garage. He then started the ignition of the van and drove away, the statement says.

St. George Police officers talk to burglary suspect Christopher Michael Bishop, who was arrested after he was found inside Sunrise Tire early Friday morning, St. George, Utah, April 27, 2018 | Photo courtesy of Sunrise Tire, St. George News

Then on the same night as the tire shop break-in, Bishop allegedly also broke into an RV parked in a remote area of Hurricane, according to a separate statement by Hurricane Valley Police. The driver’s side ventilation window was smashed and several items were stolen from the vehicle, including a generator, propane tank, TV, clothes and other items totaling just under $1,500.

“The victim had a couple of names of suspects and one name was Christopher Bishop,” the probable cause statement reads.

Bishop also admitted to burglarizing the RV when police questioned him about it in jail Wednesday. After hitting the RV, Bishop was arrested April 27 at about 2 a.m. after breaking into the tire shop. He wasn’t in the tire shop long enough to steal anything there.

With the additional crimes, Bishop was charged with multiple felony counts of theft, vehicle theft, criminal mischief and burglary of a dwelling. He’s being charged with burglary of a dwelling because the RV was used as a home for the person who owned it. Police were able to recover the stolen truck and van after his arrest.

This report is based on statements from police or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. 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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Twitter:  @STGnews | @SpencerRicks

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

 

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4 Comments

  • comments May 25, 2018 at 8:50 am

    He’s got that sort of inbred meth addict look to him.

  • RadRabbit May 25, 2018 at 12:02 pm

    Loving the real tree coveralls really sets the look off.

  • Carpe Diem May 25, 2018 at 1:39 pm

    Good catch. Now release him back to the wild for more!

  • Striker4 May 25, 2018 at 7:33 pm

    Just another loser that needs to get a Real life

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