Asked to leave business, man returns minutes later throwing rocks and damaging vehicles

Composite image | St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A California man was arrested after he returned to a business he had been trespassed from and then reportedly proceeded to throw rocks at several vehicles parked in the company lot, causing thousands in damage, police say.

Stock image for illustrative purposes only | St. George News

Officers responded to a transportation company on East Deseret Drive shortly before 2 p.m. Monday on a disorderly call involving a verbal altercation taking place at the business.

According to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest, Janvier Christopher Mason, 28, of North Hollywood, California, had reportedly been arguing with another employee when the altercation escalated to the point Mason assaulted a company manager by pushing him. The reporting party only wanted the suspect trespassed from the property.

While speaking to the staff, the report states, officers noticed a man matching the suspect’s description walking away from the business toward the roadway. He continued walking as officers advised him multiple times that he was not allowed to return to the business. But Mason continued down the street.

Less than 20 minutes later, officers returned to the business after the manager called 911 to report that Mason had reappeared and was on the property allegedly throwing rocks at a number of vehicles in the parking lot.

Officers arrived to find Mason heading south on foot along North 3050 East. Once he reached the corner of Deseret Drive, the suspect was detained by police.

Meanwhile, officers processing the scene at the trucking business learned there was more than one employee who observed Mason walking onto the property carrying several large rocks and watched as he threw the rocks at two of the vehicles.

At that point, a staff member went outside and saw the suspect grab another rock and throw it through the windshield of a semitractor-trailer parked on the lot. He witnessed Mason take another rock and throw it at the windshield of another of the truck tractors parked in the lot.

During a canvass of the lot, officers photographed damage resulting from the incident, which is when they found a truck with its windshield smashed in and a Camaro with a large hole in the rear window. They also found scratches and dents matching the rock that was behind the car, as well as a second vehicle with minor damage and a large rock sitting next to the car.

Officers found a third vehicle, a Jeep, with two large holes in the front windshield – damage “consistent with having rocks thrown at it,” the officer noted, and police also found a large amount of glass scattered across the hood, as well as scratches and dents that appeared to have been caused by a rock sliding down the surface.

Mason was arrested and transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility facing second-degree felony count of criminal mischief, along with misdemeanor assault and criminal trespass.

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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