Editors Note: This article was originally published in the Sept. 13, 2023 issue of the Chronicle Progress. Some information may be outdated.
Three people were arrested on felony auto theft charges in separate incidents last week.
On Sept. 5, a 21-year-old woman was booked into the Millard County jail after she was spotted in Scipio driving a red Dodge Caravan reported stolen out of Richfield, a police report on the matter shows.
Trinity Rose McElhinny was pulled over after she left the east county town, followed by a police officer who noticed the vehicle. Four passengers were taken from the vehicle during what was described as a felony traffic stop.
McElhinny allegedly confessed to arresting officers that she was in possession of methamphetamine when she was stopped, a probable cause statement filed in her case reported.
“The owner of the vehicle was contacted and she gave her consent for the vehicle to be searched. During the search we found a bag that held the drivers personal effects. Also inside the bag was drug paraphernalia, suspected marijuana, and suspected methamphetamine,” the probable cause affidavit reported.
The suspect was subsequently charged with driving a stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony as well as multiple misdemeanor drug and tobacco charges. She was ordered to be held without bail after an initial appearance last week.
In a second incident last week, a 24-year-old man was arrested on Sept. 7 after someone called police to report him walking around south Delta. The suspect, Dawson Spidle, is reportedly autistic and has a history of stealing a vehicle, a probable cause statement in the case reports.
While deputies were searching for the man, a report was made that an ATV was stolen a few miles from where Spidle lives.
“Myself and other deputies were able to find the ATV after it had been crashed into a ditch while the reporting party was following it,” the probable cause in the case states. “We were able to see Dawson out in a field not far from the ATV.”
After detaining the suspect, Spidle allegedly told deputies he was just trying to go visit a friend. The suspect was arrested after deputies noted the man’s prior incident.
Spidle was initially charged with one count of vehicle theft and given a bail amount of $5,000. However, on Monday, the Millard County Attorney’s Office amended the criminal information against the suspect, adding a second count of vehicle theft. Both counts are second-degree felonies.
Details surrounding the second charge were not available, but may involve the original incident of vehicle theft noted by deputies in the Sept. 7 probable cause statement.
An initial appearance was made on Sept. 8 with a waiver hearing scheduled in Spidle’s case for Sept. 20.
In a third stolen vehicle arrest, unrelated to the first two, a 64-year-old man was arrested on Sept. 9 in Delta after a woman reported her truck stolen from a gas station parking lot.
The woman told police she recognized the suspect as her ex-husband’s uncle, who was seen revving the truck engine, driving to the end of the gas station parking lot and then returning the vehicle, later leaving the scene on a motorcycle.
Deputies caught up with the suspect, Layton Mahlon Twitchell, at his residence.
“Mr. Twitchell stated he got into the vehicle and just drove it around the parking lot to ‘teach (the victim) a lesson.’ Mr. Twitchell stated he basically bought the vehicle, but it wasn’t registered in his name. Mr. Twitchell went on to say he did nothing wrong because he drove it back to the gas station,” according to a probable cause filed in the case.
The suspect argued to deputies that he had loaned the victim money that was never repaid, hence the lesson taught.
“In (the victim’s) witness statement she wrote what Mr. Twitchell said to her after returning the vehicle, ‘what’s wrong I can’t drive my truck that you bought with my money.’ After Mr.
Twitchell returned the vehicle, (the victim) called 911,” the probable cause statement alleges.
The suspect was booked into the Millard County jail and charged with second-degree felony vehicle theft as well as misdemeanor burglary of a vehicle.
Twitchell was able to post a $5,000 bond and was released from custody.
A Sept. 20 initial appearance was set in his case.
