ST. GEORGE — A St. George man and woman were arrested Sunday after police found them in possession of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and multiple weapons.
At approximately 9 a.m., St. George Police Officer Mike Christensen ran the license plate of a car traveling south on 700 East and discovered the vehicle registration was expired and the car insurance came back as “not found,” Christensen wrote in the probable cause statements supporting the arrests.
Before dispatch came back with the information, the driver of the car pulled into the driveway of a home located at 600 E. 700 S. in St. George and parked, Christensen said in the statement. When Christensen received the information from dispatch, he turned back around and made contact with the vehicle occupants.
Ezra Kunz, of St. George, Utah, booking photo posted Nov. 30, 2014 | Photo courtesy of Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
Christensen identified the driver of the vehicle as 23-year-old Ezra Loyal Kunz and his passenger as 18-year-old Arial Carter. At least one other passenger was seen in the vehicle as well, Christensen said in the statement, but left the area before Christensen arrived.
Kunz, who was also found to be driving on a suspended license, said the vehicle belonged to his father and that it was uninsured, Christensen said. Kunz consented to a search and said he occasionally drove the vehicle and that some of his personal items were inside.
“Inside (Kunz’s) right front shirt pocket, I located a clear plastic baggie with a white crystal like substance inside,” Christensen said in a statement. “Based on my training and experience, I suspected this was methamphetamine.”
Carter also consented to the search of a purse officers found inside the car, Christensen said. Inside, police found two glass pipes with residue inside of them.
One pipe contained a white-crystal-like substance and another had a burnt substance inside, the statement said. Carter said she knew the pipes were there, and had used the pipes on Saturday.
During an inventory of the vehicle, officers also located a pair of brass knuckles, a long “bayonet type” knife and another knife approximately six to eight inches long, Christensen said in a statement.
Ariel Carter, of St. George, Utah, booking photo posted Nov. 30, 2014 | Photo courtesy of Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
“This (shorter) knife was located tucked between the center console and the driver’s seat,” Christensen said. “The other knife was approximately 15-inches long and was located in the trunk of the vehicle.”
Both Kunz and Carter were arrested and booked into Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility on Sunday.
All drug charges against the two were enhanced because Christensen witnessed the vehicle within 1,000 feet of an LDS Church and Dixie State College, according to the statements.
Kunz was charged with one second-degree felony for possession of methamphetamine; two class-A misdemeanors for possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon; and two class C misdemeanors for driving without registration and on a denied license. His bail is set at $6,000.
Carter was charged with one second-degree felony for possession of methamphetamine, and one class A misdemeanor for possession of drug paraphernalia. Her bail is set at $6,000.
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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