ST. GEORGE — A man is in jail after allegedly committing a residential burglary reported Feb. 8 at a home in St. George, where officers collected a photo of the suspect’s vehicle captured by the home’s security camera.
The arrest stems from an incident that began when officers responded to a residence in St. George on a burglary after a homeowner called police reporting that their home was broken into. After arriving and clearing the home, officers found extensive damage to one of the entry doors leading into the basement. There were marks consistent with tools being used to pry open the door to disengage the lock. One of the balcony doors also sustained similar damage, according to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest.
In the basement, officers found the door frame to a large storage room also damaged. A large piece of wood had split off from the frame and was lying on the floor nearby. As they entered the room, they found a metal paint scraper in the doorway that was bent and appeared to have been used to pry open the doors.
Next to the west basement entry door officers found a stack of mail listing various accounts connected to the homeowner’s deceased family member, along with a jacket, a two-way radio with a charging base, the security doorbell that was removed from the front door of the residence and a small saw-knife tool, all of which were from the home.
Officers also found a Costco card that belonged to an individual who reported an unrelated burglary in September of last year.
The report also states the homeowner told officers the home was ransacked and it appeared as though the suspect “had gone through everything,” according to the report.
The missing items included more than $2,500 of collectable plates and cups taken from a hutch. Officers could see outlines of dust where the items were stored prior to the incident. The suspect also disconnected television wires but left the TV, and officers also found the security system disconnected.
Authorities also recovered a still photo of the suspect’s vehicle, a black four-door passenger car, that had been parked in the homeowner’s garage and captured by a security camera. The camera was also taken during the incident but the footage was still accessible.
Through the course of the investigation, officers conducted a records search of the Utah pawn data base as well as a number of social media platforms but were unable to locate any of the missing items.
A witness also reported seeing the suspect and provided a description to police, saying the man had a cross tattooed below his left eye and also described the black vehicle he was known to drive.
The following day, officers identified the suspect as 32-year-old Andrew Stephen Wilde and then discovered the black Audi the suspect was known to drive had reportedly been seen at the Sands Motel on South 200 West in St. George. When authorities checked the motel parking lot they found the vehicle parked in one of the stalls.
The suspect was then located at the motel where he was staying. During an interview, the report states that Wilde allegedly admitted to committing the burglary and taking the items. He was arrested and booked into Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility facing multiple charges that were later filed by the Washington County Attorney’s Office.
In addition to second-degree felony for burglary of a dwelling, Wilde also faces felony criminal mischief for the $2,500 damage to all three doors, as well as felony theft for allegedly stealing between $3,000-$4,000 worth of items from the home. Altogether, the value of the missing items, combined with the costs associated with repairing the three doors that were damaged during the incident, amounted to more than $6,000.
Wilde also faces misdemeanor drug and paraphernalia charges after officers found a glass vial containing a brown substance consistent with heroin during a search prior to transport.
The officer also requested that Wilde be held without bail, noting the suspect has an extensive criminal history with multiple convictions for burglary and thefts as well as drug cases.
The officer also wrote that Wilde “is out of work” and lives a transient lifestyle, thus the suspect “will likely commit other theft related crimes if released.”
Instead, bail was set at $7,500 according to the order signed by District Judge Eric Ludlow. Wilde is scheduled to make an appearance in 5th District Court on Thursday and remains in custody at the writing of this report.
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