Man charged with attempted homicide after allegedly inhaling Dust-Off, assaulting grandparents

St. George Police vehicle. | File photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A local man was booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility on charges of attempted homicide Sunday night.

Jacob Tolman Klein, 23, of St. George, was arrested on multiple charges, including attempted homicide by assault and interfering with arrest. According to a probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest, officers were called out Sunday evening to a residence on Rio Virgin Drive in St. George on a report of a psychiatric problem.

The call indicated that Klein was having psychiatric issues, the arresting officer wrote, adding that the caller indicated he was attacking his grandparents, with whom he lived, and that he was threatening to kill them and might have a weapon. The caller also said that Klein had a history of drug and alcohol abuse and had been in and out of rehabilitation.

When officers arrived on scene at approximately 8 p.m., Klein resisted their attempts to subdue him, and they had to restrain him and put him in handcuffs, the statement said.

Once in cuffs, the officers attempted to search Klein, at which point he allegedly kicked one of the officers in the leg.

Booking photo for Jacob Tolman Klein, Washington County, Utah, Nov. 29, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

The suspect was then rolled on his stomach and placed “into a hobble for our protection from any further resisting/attempts to harm officers,” the officer wrote.

At this point, the officer was able to conduct his investigation. According to the statement, both grandparents said the incident started when Klein was “in his room cursing a lot.”

His grandmother went in to tell him to stop, at which point, “Jacob became volatile and began attacking both grandmother and grandfather.”

Klein allegedly kicked his grandfather to the ground and repeatedly kicked him in the face and abdomen.

After this, he chased his grandmother outside and attacked her as well, the statement said, adding that according to emergency medical services on scene, the grandmother’s nose was broken and she had several skin tears on her forearms.

Throughout the incident, the grandparents allege, Klein made multiple threats to kill them.

“Jacob stated that he had a pistol in the home and that he would use it to kill them and that when the cops come, they wont have anything to do,” the officer wrote.

A search of Klein’s room turned up two suspected empty cans of Dust Off, along with a new package of Dust Off; however, St. George Police Public Information Officer Tiffany Atkin told St. George News that as of this report, no gun has been found at the residence.

The arresting officer also interviewed Klein’s father, who said his son had a history of abusing inhalants and that he believed his son had been abusing them Sunday evening, which was the cause of his psychosis.

“Jacobs father stated that he had been trying to get Jacob treatment for his mental health and abuse,” the officer wrote. “He stated that Jacob has become too volatile, and that he didn’t think it would be safe for Jacob to come back home until he’s had more treatment.”

The officer later interviewed Klein at Dixie Regional Medical Center and was allegedly told by that he intended to kill his grandfather because he witnessed his grandfather attacking his grandmother with a shard of glass; however, the officer wrote in his statement that he found no evidence in his investigation that supported Klein’s claim.

Based on the investigation, Klein was arrested and booked into Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility on third degree felony charges of homicide-assault. While Atkin said the grandfather survived the attack, she added that there is no code for attempted homicide-assault, so the charge is the same but one class less than homicide.

Klein was also charged with criminal mischief for intentional damage to destroy or deface property, threat of violence, use and/or possession of psychotoxic chemicals, interfering with arrest and aggravated assault.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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