ST. GEORGE – A 35-year-old man with a felony warrant led law enforcement on a chase in St. George Thursday afternoon that ultimately ended with a vehicle crash and his apprehension soon after.
Shortly before 1 p.m., FBI agents located David Cody Temples, of Vernal, in the parking lot of Sportsman’s Warehouse at 2957 E. 850 North, St. George Police Officer Lona Trombley said.
Temples was wanted out of Las Vegas on a felony warrant related to a Nov. 25 incident alleging aggravated kidnapping, robbery and burglary involving a firearm.
Temples fled the scene in a white Dodge Ram pickup that was later confirmed to be stolen and led the FBI, as well as officers from the St. George Police Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Office, on a chase.
The chase ultimately ended up on southbound River Road where Temples pulled into the parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel at 1762 S. River Road and crashed the Dodge into a cinder block wall on the parking lot’s north side.
Temples left the truck and fled on foot following the crash and apparently hid at a residence somewhere on 1710 S. Circle.
Personnel from the FBI, Sheriff’s Office and St. George Police filled the chapel parking lot and a SWAT team also became involved.
Members of the SWAT team found Temples hiding at a residence nearby and took him into custody without incident around 3:30 p.m., Trombley said.
As schools were being let out as the manhunt progressed, police arranged to have a bus from nearby Sunrise Ridge Elementary to be called back to the school. Parents were notified by the Washington County School District to pick their children up at the school instead.
Residents in the neighborhood where Temples was located had also been told to exercise caution and to contact police if they encountered the man, rather then attempt to confront him directly.
In addition to the original charges out of Las Vegas, Trombley said Temples now faces multiple criminal offenses in St. George that include residential burglary, evading police in a vehicle, reckless driving, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, possession of finance cards, multiple identification cards, possession of stolen property and leaving the scene of an accident.
Temples also has a warrant for his arrest issued out of Vernal for multiple forgery counts and tampering with evidence.
“This was a potentially volatile situation that the Washington County Sheriff’s (Office), St. George Police Department and the FBI worked together cohesively to bring to a positive conclusion,” Trombley said. “(It) was handled in the best way possible.”
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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The Dodge Ram pickup, later confirmed to be stolen, David Temples, a fugitive wanted by the FBI on a warrant out of Las Vegas, used in an attempt to escape a pursuit by the FBI and Washington County Sheriff's Office and St. George Police Department. He led police agencies on a chase through a part of St. George until turning into a church parking lot on River Road and crashing into a cinder block wall. He fled the scene on foot and was ultimately apprehended without incident, St. George, Utah, Dec. 8, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Members of the St. George Police SWAT Team joined the search for David Temples, a fugitive wanted by the FBI on a warrant out of Las Vegas. He led police agencies on a chase through a part of St. George until turning into a church parking lot on River Road and crashing into a cinder block wall. He fled the scene on foot and was ultimately apprehended without incident, St. George, Utah, Dec. 8, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
The FBI, Washington County Sheriff's Office and St. George Police Department participated in a manhunt for David Temples, a fugitive wanted by the FBI on a warrant out of Las Vegas. He led police agencies on a chase through a part of St. George until turning into a church parking lot on River Road and crashing into a cinder block wall. He fled the scene on foot and was ultimately apprehended without incident, St. George, Utah, Dec. 8, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Members of the St. George Police SWAT Team join the search for David Temples, a fugitive wanted by the FBI on a warrant out of Las Vegas. He led police agencies on a chase through a part of St. George until turning into a church parking lot on River Road and crashing into a cinder block wall. He fled the scene on foot and was ultimately apprehended without incident, St. George, Utah, Dec. 8, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Elements of the FBI, Washington County Sheriff's Office and St. George Police Department worked together during a search for David Temples, a fugitive wanted by the FBI on a warrant out of Las Vegas. He led police agencies on a chase through a part of St. George until turning into a church parking lot on River Road and crashing into a cinder block wall. He fled the scene on foot and was ultimately apprehended without incident, St. George, Utah, Dec. 8, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Members of the St. George Police SWAT Team join the search for David Temples, a fugitive wanted by the FBI on a warrant out of Las Vegas. He led police agencies on a chase through a part of St. George until turning into a church parking lot on River Road and crashing into a cinder block wall. He fled the scene on foot and was ultimately apprehended without incident, St. George, Utah, Dec. 8, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Investigators go through items found inside the Dodge Ram pickup that David Temples, a fugitive wanted by the FBI on a warrant out of Las Vegas, used in an attempt to escape pursuit by the FBI, Washington County Sheriff's Office and St. George Police Department. He led police agencies on a chase through a part of St. George until turning into a church parking lot on River Road and crashing into a cinder block wall. He fled the scene on foot and was ultimately apprehended without incident, St. George, Utah, Dec. 8, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
David Cody Temples, the man involved in a short-lived police chase and manhunt in St. George on Dec. 8, 2016 | Photo courtesy of the St. George Police Department.
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Twitter: @MoriKessler
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.
this is a fine example of the wonderful law enforcement personnel we have in the community that do what has to be done to protect the citizens of community. and I would like to thank all those involved in making this possible. Praise the Lord. .
Dang tweeker.