Suspect in jail following alleged burglary that left 2 occupants injured

Composite image with background photo by Okeksandr Filon/iStock/Getty Imags Plus; overlay stock photo by Cody Blowers | St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A local man is being held without bail after he allegedly entered a home and assaulted the residents, including one occupant who suffered what appeared to be multiple fractures to his nose.

2018 file photo for illustrative purposes only of Gold Cross responding to South Mall Drive in St. George, Utah, Jan. 12, 2018 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

The arrest stems from an incident reported shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday when officers responded to a report of an assault on South Mall Drive in St. George.

The reporting party also advised dispatch that an unknown man had reportedly entered his home and assaulted both he and a second occupant.

According to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest, officers arrived and spoke to two witnesses who reported that an unknown white male, 5-foot-10 with long hair and wearing a “Dragonball Z” shirt, had entered a residence “unexpectedly and without permission,” the officer wrote.

When the homeowner attempted to guide the alleged intruder out the door and was telling him he needed to leave, the suspect reportedly started to hit the homeowner in the face, which caused both to fall to the ground.

Meanwhile, a second individual inside of the home at the time heard the commotion and ran out to help, which is when police say the suspect started punching the second occupant in the face.

Officers also noted there was blood coming from the homeowner’s nose where he had reportedly been struck and also noted the second occupant’s nose was ”dislodged and broken in at least one place.” The occupant also had a half-inch laceration above his eye, which the officer noted was caused by one of the strikes to his face.

The second occupant was transported to St. George Regional Hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, officers tracked down the suspect, 23-year-old Braden Lee Holmes, and noticed there was blood on the back of his shirt, his arm and both knees, but the suspect said it was his own blood. The officer noted the suspect’s statement was not supported by the complete lack of any visible cuts or injuries visible on him.

File photo for illustrative purposes only of St. George Police responding to call in St. George, Utah, May 10, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Jon Duckworth, St. George News

Holmes was arrested and transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility facing second-degree felony burglary, as well one misdemeanor count each of assault and assault with serious bodily injury.

Less that two weeks before the Thursday incident, Holmes was arrested for misdemeanor assault on a police officer, interfering with an arrest, threat of violence and a citation for intoxication following a report the suspect became disorderly after being picked up using a ride-sharing application.

According to charging documents filed with the courts, the suspect started to yell at the driver and was asked to get out of the vehicle, which is when Holmes refused, the witness said, and then police were called.

As the driver was summoning help from authorities, the report states, the passenger “threatened to kill the driver and exited the vehicle.”

From there, the suspect fled into one of the city parks and allegedly attempted to hide from the police who found him a short time later. He was arrested and booked into jail facing multiple charges, including misdemeanor assault on a police officer, interfering with an arrest, threats of violence and a citation for intoxication. Following the arrest the suspect was released from custody with conditions. 

On April 12, however, the suspect had another run-in with police and showed “no regard for neighbors and caused enough alarm for law enforcement to be called,” and when they arrived, he allegedly resisted arrest, according to the report.

In March, the suspect was arrested following an incident at a bar on St. George Boulevard where officers responded to an unrelated incident. During the call, the suspect continued to approach officers in the middle of dealing with the call and became belligerent, despite being asked to stop.

Following the arrest near Mall Drive on Friday, the officer also included a statement at the end of the affidavit that stated, “Based upon Braden’s apparent disregard for the health and safety of the City of Saint George, and its citizens,” the officer wrote, “I request that the court hold Braden without bail.”

In this 2020 file photo for illustrative purposes only the One and Only Bar on St. George Boulevard is taped off by police in St George, Utah, March 4, 2020 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

The officer went on to say the suspect poses an active and ongoing threat to the community, adding Holmes “has expressed a desire to right his perceived societal wrongs with acts of violence.”

Further, the suspect holds “no regard” for citizens, and expressed a desire to “commit violence against a complete stranger,” such as what reportedly took place during the burglary on Thursday.

The officer’s request was approved and the order to hold the suspect without bail was signed by District Judge Eric A. Ludlow Friday morning, which is also when formal charges were filed by the Washington County Attorney’s Office.  

 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, 2022, all rights reserved.

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