Police: Man wanted on aggravated assault charge arrested for DUI in Ivins

Stock image | St. George News

ST. GEORGE —  A suspect wanted on three active warrants, including one for aggravated assault that allegedly left a man with two shattered teeth and a broken facial bone, was arrested for DUI in Ivins.

File photo for illustrative purposes only of Old Highway 91 street sign in Ivins, Utah, Jan. 20, 2022 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

On Monday, a Santa Clara-Ivins Police officer patrolling Old Highway 91 spotted a silver passenger car heading east at 62 mph in a 40 mph speed zone, according to charging documents filed with the court.

The officer flipped a U-turn and dropped in behind the car to initiate a traffic stop. The suspect turned north on Main Street and pulled over near the 700 block in Ivins.

Police say that while speaking to the driver, identified as 27-year-old Tyland Scott, a strong smell of alcohol was coming from his breath and his eyes appeared to be red and glossed over.

When asked, Scott reportedly denied having anything to drink, which is when he was asked to step out of the car.

According to the report, prior to the field sobriety test, the driver told police he had a previous gunshot injury to the lower abdomen and also that his left hip was hurting, two conditions that could impact his performance during the sobriety test, he said. He ultimately failed the test.

Scott was arrested and a portable breathalyzer test later revealed that he had a blood-alcohol level of .242 – nearly 5 times the legal limit in Utah.

The suspect was placed in the patrol vehicle, and during a background check, officers learned of three active warrants for the suspect’s arrest.

2021 stock image of Santa Clara-Ivins patrol vehicle, Santa Clara, Utah, March 2, 2021 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

One warrant for aggravated assault was issued last month following an investigation into an incident that was initially reported as a disorderly conduct call on March 16. When officers responded, however, they found a man with two broken teeth and a bloody face, according to charging documents filed with the court.

Court records also indicate the altercation took place after the suspect, identified as Scott, arrived at the injured man’s home where the two started arguing. The verbal altercation took a turn and escalated, and Scott reportedly punched the man in the face.

Authorities say Scott was wearing brass knuckles at the time, which is what led to the severity of the injuries: a facial fracture and two broken teeth.

Officers scoured the area in search of the suspect but were unable to locate the man. They also were unable to make any contact with the suspect.

Following the search, detectives requested that a warrant be issued for Scott’s arrest, and a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault was submitted to the Washington County Attorney’s Office for review.

The following month, formal charges were filed. On April 28, the court issued a $10,000 warrant for the suspect’s arrest.

The second warrant was issued in June 2021, after Scott reportedly failed to appear for a review hearing on an impaired driving case that had resulted in a conviction and later a probation violation.

2021 file photo for illustrative purposes only St. George Police officers responding to a crash in St. George, Utah, Jan. 18, 2021 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

The third warrant issued for the suspect’s arrest involved a misdemeanor assault charge that was filed October 2020, relating to a family fight with reported injuries.

Following the suspect’s arrest on Monday, Scott was booked into jail shortly after 1 p.m., and he made an initial appearance the following day, where the judge ordered the bail amount to remain unchanged.

Scott is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday and remains in custody on $10,000 bail.

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, 2022, all rights reserved.

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