ST. GEORGE — Two were arrested on more than 20 felony charges each, while a third person was admitted to the hospital with a punctured lung following a stabbing that took place at an apartment complex late Sunday night.
St. George Police Sgt. Tyrell Bangerter told St. George News the incident began late Sunday night when a woman arrived at St. George Regional Hospital’s emergency room with a stab wound to her back, which is when officers stationed at the hospital became involved in the incident.
The stabbing victim was later identified as 20-year-old Makenna Grace Morlee who was being treated by emergency room physicians and was later admitted to the hospital, Bangerter added.
The injured party arrived at the hospital with a second woman who was identified as 19-year-old Lesly Jocelyn Mendoza, who spoke to police and gave an approximate location connected to the stabbing, which was an apartment complex on East 300 South, according to the probable cause statements filed in support of the arrests.
From there, officers went searching for the residence. Shortly after midnight, they found an apartment complex on 300 South near the corner of 200 East that was not clearly marked but appeared to be the residence connected to the incident, the report states.
Officers were met at the door by 22-year-old William David West who reportedly confirmed Morlee lived at the address. Police say they detected a strong odor of burned marijuana coming from inside of the residence, which was when the suspect was asked to step outside. He was then detained while officers conducted a sweep of the unit to make sure there were no other injured parties inside.
During the sweep, officers noticed a pump-action shotgun leaning against one of the bedroom walls, which was later determined to be the bedroom belonging to West.
Once the unit was cleared, officers backed out of the residence and set up a containment area while detectives were called to assist in the investigation.
In the meantime, authorities received an update from the hospital indicating the wound to Morlee’s back also punctured one of her lungs.
Officers processing the scene at the apartment complex obtained a search warrant for the residence on account of there being the odor of marijuana and a shotgun present. Bangerter said they also obtained a warrant to search the car Mendoza was driving when she took Morlee to the hospital.
During a search of the car and the apartment unit, officers recovered more than $3,300 in cash, more than 2,000 fentanyl, oxycodone and other narcotic pills, as well as 1,300 grams of liquid codeine.
As the search continued, officers also recovered more than 3,660 separate THC-related items, along with 19 pounds of marijuana, 10 pounds of THC wax and 14 pounds of mushroom-related products.
Officers also located more than one pound of cocaine, half a pound of heroin and 64 grams of ecstasy.
A majority of the narcotics were reportedly found in several locked suitcases in the room where Morlee was staying. When they initially approached the room the door was locked, which is when West gave them a key to access the room.
Several firearms were also recovered during the search, including two handguns, one of which was missing a serial number, along with a Winchester 12-gauge shotgun, extended magazine, a silencer and a bag of ammunition.
Police also located multiple scales and baggies typically used for the distribution of drugs and also a ledger outlining the various quantities, prices and types of narcotics.
The report also states that West and Mendoza were being uncooperative throughout the investigation, so at that point, officers were uncertain as to what took place during the stabbing. Later, Mendoza reportedly told police that she stabbed Morlee with a sharp knife that was later recovered from the vehicle the pair were traveling in, but also told officers “it was by accident.”
Being that West had access to the key to enter Mendoza’s room where the suitcases allegedly belonging to Morlee were located, both Mendoza and West were transported to jail in Washington County.
The report also states that all three suspects will face the same charges in connection with the incident, including 12 second-degree felony counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and five third-degree felony counts of the same charge. Each also faces one count of possession of a firearm.
Mendoza faces a third-degree felony dangerous weapons charge after allegedly telling officers she used a sharp knife during the incident.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, Bangerter said, and as of Monday afternoon, he said that Morlee was still in the hospital and had yet to be formally charged in the incident.
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.
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