Police say burglar kicked in door, assaulted occupant in St. George apartment

Stock photo | St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A local man is in jail after authorities say he kicked in the door of an apartment unit and assaulted one of the tenants during a late-night incident over the weekend.

2017 file photo for illustrative purposes only of St. George Police officers responding to Mall Drive in St. George, Utah, Nov. 17, 2017 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News

The incident that led to the arrest took place Sunday when officers were dispatched to an apartment complex on W. 360 North in St. George shortly after midnight on a report of an assault that took place during the burglary of one of the units.

According to charging documents filed in support of the arrest, officers arrived to find two tenants, one of whom was bleeding from wounds to his face, arms and feet. As they entered the apartment, they found blood on the floor, the television and other areas of the unit.

The report also states officers found signs of a struggle, including a number of items that were knocked over in the front room of the unit that was in a state of disarray.

While speaking to police, the reporting party said that some time ago, the suspect, later identified as 50-year-old Raul Aranda, who also was a former friend, started harassing her by allegedly leaving notes on either the front door of the apartment she shared with her roommate or on her vehicle, demanding payment for money he said she owed him.

The complainant also told officers that early Sunday morning, she could hear someone at the front door and when she opened it, she found the suspect in the process of taping another note to the door. As she was shutting the door, the reporting party said the suspect kicked the door open, causing her to fall back and hit the TV. The report alleges Aranda proceeded to enter the unit and started assaulting her.

Meanwhile, the roommate, hearing the commotion, ran out into the front room to intercept the attack, which is when the suspect turned and allegedly struck the tenant several times before grabbing a chair and hurling it at the roommate, striking him. The suspect then fled from the apartment while the tenant called the police.

File photo for illustrative purposes only of a St. George Police patrol vehicle, St. George News, July 10, 2021 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Patrol officers in the area were provided a description of the suspect and a canvass of the area ensued. Shortly thereafter, the suspect was spotted in his car by one of the officers and he was taken into custody.

During the arrest, one of the officers saw a note on the seat of the suspect’s vehicle that was consistent with the notes that had been previously left to the victim. Officers also noted there was blood on the suspect’s arms, shirt and pants.

According to authorities, there were no injuries on the suspect that were bleeding, leading investigators to believe the blood found on the suspect’s clothing came from the attack at the apartment unit earlier.

When officers attempted to question the suspect, Aranda said he did not want to speak to police and was transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility facing a first-degree felony aggravated burglary charge, as well as a misdemeanor assault charge. The suspect remains in custody without bail.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement 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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