Man arrested following brief standoff west of Cedar City

Iron County Sheriff's deputies at the scene of a reported domestic disturbance west of Cedar City, Utah, June 28, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — A man was arrested after a short standoff with law enforcement officers in a rural neighborhood west of Cedar City Monday evening.

Iron County Sheriff’s Lt. Del Schlosser said that at approximately 7 p.m., deputies and officers responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at a residence on 1125 South street, near 5100 West.

According to the report, a male suspect had allegedly assaulted a female inside the home, after which she exited the residence, leaving the man still inside and possibly armed with a gun.

“As the female was leaving the residence, she heard a single gunshot,” Schlosser said, adding that two additional people came out of the residence after officers arrived.

“Another female later came out of the residence after several minutes of trying to negotiate with the suspect,” Schlosser said. “He then came out of the residence and surrendered.”

At some point prior to surrendering, the man had allegedly tried to light something inside the house on fire, Schlosser said, adding that the flames went out before spreading.

The suspect was arrested and taken to Iron County Jail later Monday evening.

Iron County Sheriff’s deputies at the scene of a reported domestic disturbance west of Cedar City, Utah, June 28, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Shortly before midnight, Jason Catella, 28, was booked on suspicion of multiple charges, including aggravated arson, possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, making a threat with a weapon, domestic violence in the presence of a child, criminal mischief and intoxication.

In addition to multiple Iron County Sheriff’s deputies, officers from Cedar City Police Department, Southern Utah University Police and Enoch Police Department also responded to the incident.

Ed. Note: A new Utah law generally prohibits the release of arrest booking photos until after a conviction is obtained.

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders 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, 2021, all rights reserved.

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