Couple arrested after allegedly dragging 15-year-old during iPhone theft

Composite image shows St. George Police on Bluff Street in St. George, Utah, Jan. 25, 2018 | File photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A married couple are in jail after allegedly driving off during a robbery with a local teen still halfway inside the car.

L-R: Braelie Alamillo, 22, and Anthony Alamillo, 23, both of St. George, booking photo taken in Washington County, Utah, Jul. 27, 2019 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

Anthony Alamillo, 23, and 22-year-old Braelie Alamillo, both of St. George, are facing one count of second-degree felony robbery and a third-degree aggravated assault/use of a weapon charge for an incident that began with the sale of an iPhone.

Earlier that same day, the couple went to a prearranged location to look at an iPhone that was for sale for $400 after responding to an ad placed by a local teen on “Let Go,” a cell phone application, according to a probable cause statement submitted to the Washington County Attorney’s Office.

After a number of texts from Braelie Alamillo asking to purchase the cell phone, the teen agreed to meet the suspect, according to the teenager’s grandfather.

After the suspects arrived, Braelie Alamillo got out of the vehicle to check if the SIM card would work in the phone while her husband remained in the car. The teen inserted the card and handed the phone back to the suspect to make sure it worked, at which point the suspect walked back to the car and asked her husband if he had “another $100 dollars,” the report said.

Becoming suspicious that something was wrong, the teen reached inside of the car to retrieve the phone, the officer noted in the report. That’s when Braelie Alamillo allegedly started punching and kicking the teen about the head and shoulder area as Anthony Alamillo sped off with the teen’s torso still halfway inside.

A struggle ensued until the teen grabbed the iPhone and was able to free herself. The teen then dropped off the side of the vehicle which was traveling at more than 40 mph. The victim’s foot was run over by one of the passenger’s side tires of the car.

A driver traveling behind the suspects’ vehicle witnessed the incident, called 911 and was also able to provide the license plate number to emergency dispatch.

The teen was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center by ambulance to be treated for lacerations, scrapes and bruising, along with injuries to both feet, while officers began a search.

Meanwhile, the suspects reportedly drove to an area near their residence and parked the vehicle before setting off on foot, according to the report. Shortly thereafter, officers spotted the car and located the couple a few minutes later. They were arrested and transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility where they remain at the time of this report.

The iPhone was also provided to police and still contained the SIM card from one of the suspects.

The teenager was treated at the hospital and is back at home, according to the victim’s grandfather, and is “doing well and healing,” adding that she is expected to make a full recovery.

Braelie Alamillo remains in jail on $10,000 bail, while Anthony Alamillo is being held 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, 2019, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!