Man who allegedly stole copper wire from construction site arrested after being recognized in surveillance images

Surveillance image taken from video dated Sept. 3, 2022 shows a man driving a black SUV near the scene of a construction site where theft and vandalism were later reported in Cedar City, Utah. | Image courtesy of Brittney Orton via Facebook, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — Police in Cedar City have arrested a man for allegedly stealing copper wire and causing damage at a construction site.

Iron County Jail inmate Steven Schamaun appears via videoconference for a roll call hearing, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 19, 2022 | Screenshot image courtesy of 5th District Court via WebEx, St. George News / Cedar City News

Steven William Schamaun, 32, was arrested Sept. 8, just three days after the theft reportedly occurred at a house under construction. Surveillance photos posted to Facebook by one of the owners of the construction company showed a man and a woman inside a black SUV at the site in question.

The footage was time stamped at 5:15 p.m. on Sept. 5, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in support of Schamaun’s arrest. Additional video clips show the SUV driving by the site one or two days prior to the alleged theft and vandalism incident.

The contractor who reported the incident said that most of the copper electrical wires inside the home’s garage had been cut, with damage costing an estimated $2,000. The suspect is seen holding a pair of wire cutters in the surveillance footage, according to the affidavit.

An employee of a local recycling shop reportedly recognized the man in the images as Schamaun, the affidavit states. In addition, the document notes that Schamaun is the registered owner of a black Mercury Mountaineer SUV, the same vehicle seen in the surveillance photos.

Schamaun, who has been incarcerated in Iron County Jail since his Sept. 8 arrest, made his initial court appearance via videoconference on Sept. 13.

Surveillance image from video taken in September 2022 shows a man walking toward a construction site where theft and vandalism were reported in Cedar City, Utah. | Image courtesy of Brittney Orton via Facebook, St. George News / Cedar City News

According to charging documents, Schamaun is facing one count of criminal mischief, a third-degree felony, in addition to misdemeanor counts of criminal trespassing and theft. His next scheduled court date is a preliminary hearing and detention review scheduled for Sept. 26 before 5th District Judge Matthew L. Bell.

Court documents show Schamaun’s criminal history includes various drug and theft charges. He pleaded guilty to possessing or using a forged document in 2020 after spending a counterfeit $20 bill at a local fast food restaurant on two separate occasions. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation in that case, starting in November 2020.

Meanwhile, the woman visible inside the SUV in the surveillance footage was identified by police as Ayla Hollingsworth, 36.

In a separate and unrelated case, Hollingsworth pleaded guilty on Sept. 12 to one count of possession or use of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor. She was sentenced to 18 months’ probation and ordered to pay a fine of $353.

This report is based on information provided by court documents and law enforcement officials 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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