ST. GEORGE — A St. George man was arrested for allegedly taking multiple items from an apartment unit he was staying in.
Jordan Dewayne Beal, 31, of St. George, is back in jail following an investigation that was set in motion when an individual called police to report a theft at one of their rental properties.
According to the reporting party, the suspect was staying at one of the units that was rented by the suspect’s brother, who was not staying in the unit at the time. The owner told Beal he and his girlfriend could remain in the unit until July 31, since the rent was paid through that date.
The owner also told authorities that a white Chevrolet pickup truck was parked near the residence, presumably driven by Beal.
When the owner went by the residence on July 31, “everything was in ordinary condition” and Beal had not moved out yet, the officer noted in the probable cause statement filed with the court.
The following day, however, when the owner sent a work crew to the apartment, they reported back that several items were missing from the unit, including a Whirlpool washer and dryer, a brush-nickel come chandelier, a cast-iron sink with an attached garbage disposal, a range-top oven and a number of other items. The combined value of the missing items totaled more than $1,900.
The owner called police on Aug. 2 and reported the theft, telling police he suspected Beal to be responsible for removing the items from the residence.
Through the course of the investigation officers spoke to neighbors, and one reported seeing a white kitchen stove in the back of a white pickup truck, which furthered the suspicions of the owner that Beal was behind the disappearance of the missing appliances, according to the report.
Officers also learned the stolen washer and dryer set had been sold for $400 to an individual who saw the appliances advertised on social media. The owner knew the buyer and contacted him to let him know the washer and dryer were stolen from one of his rental properties, and the appliances were returned to the reporting party.
The property owner then contacted the suspect’s father, who reimbursed the buyer the $400 he paid for the appliances.
According to police, when Beal was questioned about the incident during a telephone conversation with officers, the suspect stated “he had nothing to do with it.” When he was asked to come to the police department to take care of several active warrants, the suspect allegedly stated he would be there the following morning.
Beal “never showed up,” the officer stated in the report.
Officers determined that with Beal and his girlfriend being the last two in the apartment when the items went missing, combined with the suspect’s alleged Facebook sale of the washer and dryer, they had enough probable cause to charge the suspect with third-degree felony theft, while the suspect’s girlfriend has not been charged in the incident.
In addition to the theft charge, Beal was booked into jail on five active felony and misdemeanor warrants issued in multiple cases, one of which relates to an arrest in April in which officers allegedly found a Honda passenger car that was reportedly stolen parked along the street. While checking on the status, the officer learned it was stolen out of Las Vegas, Nevada. When police returned to the area where the vehicle had been parked, they noted it had been moved about a block away.
Through the course of the investigation, officers learned that Beal was the man suspected of stealing the car. He later told police he was test driving the car, which he obtained from a man named “Carlos,” but he could not remember the man’s last name. When he failed to provide any further details on the purchase of the car, Beal was transported and booked into jail on felony theft and other related charges.
In all, the suspect pleaded guilty to third-degree felony theft of a vehicle and unlawful acquisition of a financial card, as well as burglary and theft the following month, but failed to appear for sentencing in July on three of the cases, and District Judge G. Michael Westfall issued three warrants for his arrest July 30.
Another warrant was issued on a case filed in November of last year involving a theft by deception report, according to court records.
In that case, a buyer paid Beal $300 for a washer and dryer he advertised for sale, with the agreement that Beal would deliver the appliances. However, after receiving the money, the suspect allegedly stopped taking the buyer’s calls and never delivered the items. Beal was later arrested and charged with third-degree felony theft by deception.
He pleaded guilty to the charge after it was reduced to a misdemeanor. When he failed to appear for sentencing in July, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
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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