ST. GEORGE — Four teenagers are in custody following a fight at an apartment complex in St. George in the early hours Tuesday.
St. George Capt. Mike Giles told St. George News the incident started at around 2 a.m. in the area of 1990 East and South Mall Drive, where police were called to investigate disorderly conduct or assault.
Early reports stated the suspects were chasing people with machetes and that witnesses heard gun shots, but St. George Police Officer Tiffany Atkin said no evidence of gun shots or guns have been found on the scene at this point.
When police arrived at the Red Rock Ridge Student Housing complex, they found a man suffering from injuries to the back of his head related to blunt force trauma. The individual was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center and has since been admitted to the hospital, but Giles said his injuries are not life threatening.
Just after 5 a.m., SWAT staged at Fossil Ridge Intermediate, where a suspect had already been taken into custody. Units dispersed from the school just before 6:30 a.m. to the Falls Event Center on Mall Drive where police found a blue Bentley with three occupants and subsequently apprehended a fourth person in the wash. St. George News was on the scene and reported seeing a man on the ground surrounded by K-9 officers. The man was taken into custody.
Read more: SWAT comes out for early morning incident; 4 taken into custody
Officers searched the car, and the driver was allowed to leave the scene in his car. Giles said those in custody are in their late teens and consist of both juveniles and adults, but no arrests have been made.
Investigators acquired search warrants for the apartment to advance the investigation, Giles said. SWAT entered the apartment around 8 a.m., but Atkin could not confirm the results of the search. (See Ed. note)
Police are currently conducting interviews to corroborate stories and obtain a better understanding of the events leading up to the incident, according to Atkin.
“With these kinds of things, it’s ever-evolving, so we will keep you posted as we know more.”
This is a developing story.
This report is based on statements from police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Ed. note: An earlier version of this article included information from police that specific weapons were located at the scene of the crime. Officers with St. George Police have updated their information to indicate that no such weapons were located. In addition, an earlier version of the article referenced The Falls as Mesa Point as the apartment complex at which the incident occurred; it was in fact Red Rock Ridge Student Housing.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews | @AvereeRyann
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2019, all rights reserved.