HURRICANE — On the heels of a police standoff and arrest for burglarizing 13 vehicles last month, a Hurricane City man is facing additional charges this week after items found by police in the man’s vehicle following his arrest last month matched another active investigation.
The new charges stem from a May 16 incident in which a Hurricane City resident reported his vehicle had been burglarized and that during the burglary, his vehicle sustained $1,000 in damages to the lock on the vehicle and the interior dome light, which was stolen from the vehicle during the burglary, according to a probable cause statement filed by the Hurricane City Police Department in support of the arrest.
Additionally, a large amount of camping supplies – valued at $2,000 – had been taken from the vehicle, the report stated.
Authorities were investigating the incident when, two days later, they received a report of a vehicle burglary in progress in which Andrew Weston Bailey had allegedly broken into at least 13 vehicles in an area marked as “no trespassing” and was stealing parts from them, according to the statement.
When caught in the act, Bailey fled the scene in his Ford Ranger truck. When his truck became disabled, witnesses reported that Bailey bailed out of the vehicle and took off on foot.
Officers arrived at the location where Bailey abandoned his truck and found him on a mountainside, hiding behind rocks. Bailey refused to comply with officers’ commands to come down the mountain, police said. After some time, several officers hiked up the mountainside, detained Bailey and escorted him back down the mountain.
During an inventory of Bailey’s vehicle following his May 18 arrest, camping gear consistent with the gear reported stolen and a dome light were found, according to the statement.
The alleged victim of the vehicle burglary was able to positively identify the recovered stolen property.
Authorities went to question Bailey at the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility – where he was booked as a result of the May 18 incident on three third-degree felony counts of theft, criminal mischief and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person; 14 class A misdemeanor counts of burglary of a vehicle and possession of a controlled substance; and two class B misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass and possession of drug paraphernalia.
During the interview regarding the May 16 burglary, Bailey allegedly told investigators he got the gear found in his truck from a friend, the report stated, but he refused to give any further information.
Bailey is now facing additional charges of third-degree felony theft, along with two class A misdemeanor counts of burglary of a vehicle and criminal mischief.
Judge John Walton, of the 5th District Court, ordered $10,000 bail for Bailey’s release pending trial for the new charges. Bailey was found indigent by the court during his initial court appearance Thursday and will be represented by court-appointed attorney Michael Lastowski.
As this report is published, Bailey remains in police custody, according to booking information.
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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