ST. GEORGE — A man is in jail facing attempted murder and other charges after allegedly assaulting a 99-year-old family member early Wednesday morning.
On Wednesday officers were dispatched to a residence on North Dixie Downs Road shortly after 3:30 a.m., on what was initially reported as a domestic disturbance. The 911 caller told emergency dispatched that a woman was banging on her front door and screaming for help.
According to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest, the 911 caller told emergency dispatch that a woman was banging on her front door and screaming for help, and when she opened the door, she said, her neighbor, who is 99, said “her son was trying to kill her.”
The woman’s son was later identified as 72-year-old Steven Sweat.
While en route, officers were notified that the suspect had a knife in his possession and was trying to hurt his mother, the report states, and when police arrived, they found Sweat sitting on the front porch near the main entry door of the residence screaming and yelling, and also noted he had a cut to his abdomen. The suspect’s mother was standing nearby trying to calm him down.
The suspect was detained while officers searched for the knife, which was located underneath one of the bushes in the carport area near the porch by one of the neighbors who alerted officers its location. The knife had a 10-inch blade and a wooden handle.
During an interview, the suspect told officer he grabbed his mother by the neck and “attempted to strangle her to death.”
When asked what his intention was at the time, the suspect said “he had intended to kill her,” and only released her after she begged him to stop. Shortly thereafter, the suspect grabbed her by the throat again, while she fought back and attempted to get away. As soon as the suspect released his grasp, she was able to run from the home and summon help from the neighbor. After police were called, the detective noted, the woman returned to the home and attempted to calm Sweat down.
In the meantime, the suspect picked up a large kitchen knife and held it above his head and told the woman he was going to kill her and then himself. He then tossed the knife into the bushes as police units began to arrive at the scene.
The suspect also told investigators that during the altercation, he grabbed his small Chihuahua dog by the neck and attempted to kill it by strangling it, but the dog was too strong and fought back so Sweat said he let go of the animal.
The homeowner told officers her son was her caretaker, and that if he was taken away, she was afraid she would be placed in a retirement home. While speaking to the victim, officers noticed red marks on both sides of her neck.
During a search of the suspect’s room, officers recovered suspected marijuana and glass pipes, as well as numerous counterfeit $100 and $20 bills. When asked, the suspect said he purchased the counterfeit money online and went on to say he had been spending it at various businesses throughout St. George.
A criminal history check on Sweat revealed three arrests in Utah for theft, criminal trespass and domestic violence – and twice for protective order violations in 2017.
The officer also noted the two previous domestic charges filed within the last 10 years would enhance the charge to attempted murder. The report also states the suspect “twice attempted to strangle her to death” by grabbing her by her throat and squeezing, “by his own admission, to kill her.”
The suspect was also booked on second-degree felony count of abuse of a vulnerable adult, being that he was her caretaker at the time of the incident, as well as third-degree felony count of forgery. He also faces one count of possession of a dangerous weapon, aggravated cruelty to animals and possession of marijuana and paraphernalia – each a misdemeanor.
The officer also requested that Sweat be held without bail, citing the suspect poses “ a clear and present danger to the victim,” and took a substantial step towards killing her by his own admission. The request was approved and the suspect remains in custody without 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.
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