ST. GEORGE — A Santa Clara man charged with felony criminal mischief was sentenced in court last week after he pleaded guilty to shattering the windows of a local pizza restaurant with a baseball bat June 15.
Brannon T. Marlow, 49, appeared in 5th District Court where he was sentenced for one class A misdemeanor count of criminal mischief after pleading guilty to the charge during Tuesday’s hearing.
In exchange for the guilty plea, the state agreed to reduce the second-degree felony criminal mischief charge to a class A misdemeanor, a two-level reduction, an agreement that was reached after more than six months of negotiations in the case.
The charges stem from an incident reported June 15 when officers responded to the Little Caesars restaurant on 700 South after a passerby noticed the busted-out windows shortly after 7 a.m. and alerted authorities.
Officers arrived to find multiple windows in the lobby and drive-thru shattered. Later that same day, Marlow was arrested and transported to jail where he was booked on second-degree felony criminal mischief based on the amount of damage to the windows.
When asked about the damage done to the Little Caesars during an interview with police, Marlow initially said he couldn’t remember the night prior due to heavy drinking. However, he admitted a few minutes later that he remembered hitting at least two of the windows with a baseball bat. Afterward, he threw the bat somewhere but couldn’t recall exactly where.
Marlow also mentioned being angry at the owner of the Little Caesars over a civil lawsuit, according to the statement released at the time of his arrest.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Marlow was also ordered by 5th District Court Judge Jeffrey C. Wilcox to pay a $1,043 fine and more than $8,550 in restitution. The defendant was also placed on 18-months of probation and ordered to receive a substance abuse evaluation and follow any recommended treatment or counseling, as well as provide a DNA sample.
Marlow was also trespassed from Little Caesars restaurants in both St. George and Washington City.
St. George News Senior Reporter Mori Kessler contributed to this report.
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