ST. GEORGE — A woman with an extensive criminal history that includes multiple convictions for theft was arrested in Washington City for allegedly taking nearly a dozen packages from the doorstep of a tenant who recently moved into the apartment complex.
On Thursday, 35-year-old Kassandra Helena Gibson was arrested and booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility facing third-degree felony theft of mail as well as one count of theft, a misdemeanor.
The arrest stems from an incident reported one week earlier when officers were dispatched to a reported theft May 20, involving 11 packages that were taken from the doorstep of a residence.
Officers arrived and spoke to the tenant who reported that after he determined the packages were gone, he went to the dumpster located within the complex and found several empty boxes that were postmarked with his address, but all of the items were missing.
Officers obtained doorbell camera footage that showed a woman with auburn hair walking past the apartment accompanied by a man and carrying “the victim’s packages in her hand,” the report states.
Officers learned the woman matched the description of another tenant in the same complex, and later, Gibson was positively identified by someone who viewed the surveillance footage and also reported seeing the suspect with a package in her hand near the dumpster.
Officers made multiple attempts to contact Gibson over the course of more than a week, with no success.
During the final attempt Thursday, authorities knocked on the suspect’s door and again received no response; however, several minutes later they observed the suspect driving out of the complex in a silver Jeep Liberty.
The officer conducted a traffic stop on the Jeep shortly after the driver pulled onto the street, and when he read the driver her rights and asked if she would answer any questions regarding the missing packages, she immediately asked for a lawyer.
Gibson was arrested and transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility and booked into jail.
On Friday morning, the Washington County Attorney’s Office filed the felony mail theft charge, while the misdemeanor theft offense was dropped.
Gibson has multiple felony and misdemeanor theft cases and convictions dating back to 2008, including a 2019 theft case that resulted in 24 months of probation, which was just completed in March of this year.
Following the arrest Thursday, the suspect was being held on $5,010 bail and was released after posting bond.
Ed. Note: A new Utah law generally prohibits the release of arrest booking photos until after a conviction is obtained.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other 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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