ST. GEORGE — A man and woman arrested Sunday in connection with multiple burglaries in St. George are now also being charged in Mesquite, Nevada, on suspicion of engaging in a one-night burglary spree.
On Friday, Mesquite Police responded to multiple reports of burglaries at several businesses over the course of a few hours, Mesquite Police Sgt. Wyatt Oliver told St. George News.
The burglaries were committed during the early morning hours, and in each instance, the suspects gained entry by shattering glass entrance doors. While processing multiple crime scenes, detectives in Mesquite collected surveillance footage that showed two individuals involved in the incidents — one that entered the business and a second the served as the getaway driver, according to a statement released by the Mesquite Police Department.
Through the course of the Mesquite investigation, officers learned of several business burglaries reported in St. George that involved a similar point of entry and matching suspect descriptions. The two police departments joined forces to identify the suspects responsible for the crimes.
The suspects were arrested Sunday when they arrived for a meeting with potential buyers of stolen items and were instead met by St. George Police officers.
Garrett Lewis, 32, and Sarah Hewitt, 36, both from St. George, were then booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility and were later charged with more than 20 felony offenses combined.
Two days later, felony charges were filed in Mesquite. Lewis faces four counts of burglary, one count of grand larceny over $3,500 and five counts of destruction of property. Hewitt was charged with four counts of conspiracy to commit burglary.
The first in a string of burglaries in St. George they are suspected to have committed was reported July 27 when a laundromat was broken into. The suspects allegedly took $200 in cash and caused more than $1,000 in damage by breaking the glass in the entrance door to gain entry.
One of the last burglaries was reported at Christensen’s Department Store on South Bluff Street Aug. 19 when a bystander called 911 reporting a large hole toward the bottom of one of the glass entrance doors. Detectives responded to the store, which was closed at the time, and began collecting video surveillance and other evidence.
During a search of the suspects’ vehicle after their arrest Sunday, officers in St. George recovered a number of items with matching descriptions and serial numbers of the items taken in Mesquite, according to the probable cause statements filed in support of Hewitt’s and Lewis’ arrests.
The pair remain in custody in Washington County. Lewis is being held on $50,000 bail, while Hewitt’s bail is set at $30,000.
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