Suspect charged with felonies after allegedly kicking in bedroom door, wielding knife in St. George

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ST. GEORGE — A man has been charged with aggravated burglary and aggravated assault after he allegedly kicked in the bedroom door of an apartment while wielding a large kitchen knife just feet from a sleeping infant.

Image depicting West 600 South in St. George, Utah, Aug. 11, 2021 | Image courtesy of Google Maps, St. George News

On Tuesday, 33-year-old Abelardo Vazquez made an initial appearance in 5th District Court via video facing first-degree felony aggravated burglary, according to charging documents filed with the court.

The case stems from an investigation prompted by a report of threats over the weekend at an apartment complex on West 600 South.

Upon arrival at the scene, charging documents state, police spoke to a resident who told them he was sleeping on his bed with his infant daughter lying next to him when he awoke to someone pounding loudly on the bedroom door.

Before the resident could respond, the report states, the door was kicked in by a man whom the resident recognized as Vazquez, the ex-husband of the resident’s girlfriend.

The resident told police Vazquez began walking toward him yelling and holding a large kitchen knife, and when Vazquez got “about a foot away,” he told the resident he was going to “kill or hurt” him if he didn’t leave Vazquez’s ex-wife.

Vazquez then punched the other man in the face, the report states, and immediately left the apartment.

Police say the resident had a swollen lip and abrasions near the mouth area, which were consistent with the assault as described by the man.

Officers also spoke to another individual who said they saw the suspect pounding on the bedroom door with a knife in his hand, the report states, adding that this individual then told officers the suspect turned around and started yelling at them to get out of the apartment.

Both individuals described the knife as a large kitchen knife that he held in an “aggressive” manner during the incident. The arresting officer also wrote that Vazquez brought the knife with him to the apartment that night, suggesting the suspect had one intention: to make threats or inflict harm.

Through the course of the investigation, the report states, officers discovered that Vazquez has a history threating his ex-wife while holding a knife, as well as other forms of physical assault.

Police say they were unable to locate Vazquez on the night of the incident, so a warrant was issued for his arrest once officers had enough probable cause to request it. On Monday, Vazquez was arrested shortly before 4 p.m.

In addition to the aggravated burglary charge for entering a home without permission but with intent to commit an assault that caused bodily injury, Vazquez was also charged with third-degree aggravated assault, as well as misdemeanor criminal mischief for the damage to the door and the frame. He also faces one count of domestic violence in the presence of a child, since the incident reportedly took place within such close proximity to the sleeping infant.

The suspect is being held on $20,000 bail and is scheduled to make an initial appearance in 5th District Court on Thursday.

Ed. Note: Article has been updated to clarify booking procedures. 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.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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