ST. GEORGE — A local woman was arrested following an investigation into a reported theft involving more than $12,000 in camera equipment that was allegedly stolen and later found at a pawn shop by a Washington County Sheriff’s deputy.
The investigation began on June 22 when officers followed up on a vehicle burglary that reportedly took place at Snow Canyon State Park.
According to the reporting party, more than $18,000 worth of goods was taken from the car, including digital camera equipment, a cell phone, GPS equipment and other miscellaneous items.
Through the course of the investigation, officers located one of the digital cameras, a Leica, at a pawn shop in Washington City. The report also states the camera was valued at more than $12,000, according to charging documents filed with 5th District Court.
The item was pawned under the name of Michelle Taylor, a 31-year-old Washington City woman. The shop’s video surveillance footage also captured the suspect pawning the camera on June 23, along with several lenses and other equipment, and the images also matched the driver’s license photo of Taylor that was later obtained by police.
During an interview with police that took place July 9, the suspect told deputies that she did in fact pawn the camera equipment in Washington City, the report states, items she said she “knew or suspected” were stolen.
The suspect went on to explain she had done so at the request of a man who spoke to her earlier that same day. The man had asked her to pawn the camera in her name, she said, since he had no photo ID. She also said she became even more suspicious when she saw the man driving.
She also told officers she had suspected the man “just wanted her to pawn the items because they were stolen,” according to the report, but said she needed some quick cash so “she took the risk.”
Taylor also said she was promised $200 if she pawned the items, but the man failed to give her any money once the transaction was completed, and the two then parted ways.
The suspect was arrested and transported to the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility. During the booking process, the officer ran a background check on Taylor that revealed a number of other prior cases and convictions involving theft, including a misdemeanor theft case she was scheduled to appear on later this month.
On Monday, Taylor was formally charged with second-degree felony theft by receiving stolen property and misdemeanor theft. She is scheduled to make an initial appearance on the current case in September.
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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