Suspect remains in jail following stabbing at Iron County campground

Composite image with background stock photo by Oleksandr Filon/iStock/Getty Images Plus, overlay photo of Iron County Sheriff's badge | St. George, Cedar City News

ST. GEORGE — A detention hearing was held for a Cedar City man accused of stabbing a woman at a campground more than a week ago, and following the hearing, the suspect remains in custody in Iron County without bail.

Wesley Plexico, 31, of Cedar City booking photo taken in Iron County, Utah, Nov. 1, 2020 | Booking photo courtesy of Iron County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News / Cedar City News

The arrest stems from an incident Nov. 1 when officers were called out to investigate a report of a woman who was seen walking in the middle of the road on state Route 14 near mile marker 4 in Iron County. A passerby called emergency dispatch reporting that the woman appeared to need help.

Deputies responded to the area and found the woman bleeding from a stab wound to her right hip area, and an ambulance was dispatched to the scene.

The woman told deputies that she had been fighting with the suspect, later identified as 31-year-old Wesley Plexico, and that he he allegedly pushed her into some rocks at a campground on the outskirts of Cedar City. The suspect stabbed her in the hip with a knife and shocked her with her own hand-held taser, the arresting officer’s report states.

In a witness statement later filed with the court, further details were provided outlining the events that led up to the stabbing, including that the woman was chased by the suspect, who pointed a flashlight in her eyes, momentarily blinding her as she was running away. Plexico then used the taser on her arm as he pushed her onto the ground where he stabbed her on the side of her stomach.

Iron County Jail, Cedar City, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of jaildate.com, St. George News

Deputies found the suspect at one of the campsites later that same night and placed him under arrest. They also recovered a meth pipe, a taser and a collapsible pocket knife from where the suspect was camping. During a search of the suspect prior to transport, officers found a small baggy containing what appeared to be marijuana.

The suspect was booked into the Iron County Jail and later charged with third-degree felony aggravated assault, along with misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia and marijuana.

A detention hearing was held Tuesday in 5th District Court in Cedar City via video, and according to corrections staff, Plexico remains in custody without bail.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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