ST. GEORGE — A road trip from Indiana to California ended badly for one suspect who was arrested in Hurricane, after a woman reported her vehicle stolen to Indianapolis Police when the man she was traveling with took the car and left her abandoned.
On Wednesday evening, an officer working an interdiction shift located a white BMW 335i at a gas station on North Coral Canyon Boulevard in Hurricane with California plates, which a records check revealed was reported stolen out of Indianapolis, Indiana.
Once backup arrived, officers approached the car and separated the driver, later identified as 32-year-old Corey Michael Davis, of El Cajon, California, from his two passengers before being interviewed by police, according to charging documents filed with the court.
Meanwhile, a K-9 unit from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office was called in to conduct a sniff around the outside of the vehicle, which is when K-9 “Vinny” allegedly alerted the deputy to the presence of narcotics.
According to police, during a search of the BMW officers located a small handgun with bullets along with a plastic container with THC liquid and a grinder used for marijuana.
Officers also found the driver’s license and personal belongings of the individual listed as the registered owner of the vehicle, along with a debit card in the name of an individual not present in the car when the suspect was being questioned by police.
Officers first spoke to the two passengers who said they had no idea the car was stolen, and both women told officers they knew the suspect and were on a road trip from Indiana and were heading to Las Vegas and California when they were stopped by police.
Both also admitted to smoking marijuana with the suspect, the report states, and when asked about the debit card, they stated it belonged to a friend of the suspect, but “that Corey shouldn’t have it,” the officer noted in the statement.
While speaking with police, Davis said that while the vehicle belonged to his girlfriend in San Diego, California, he said he helped with the purchase and said he wasn’t aware it was reported stolen.
He also gave officers conflicting statements as to where the trio was headed, telling one officer they were on their way to Denver Springs, Colorado, while another officer was told they were headed to San Diego.
Davis also told police initially that the debit card found inside of the BMW was under a “fake name,” the officer noted, and later admitted it belonged to his friend and he “wasn’t allowed to have it,” the report states.
Officers observed that Davis appeared to be relaxed and was slurring his words, but was able to stand and walk on his own. Later, the suspect allegedly admitted to using marijuana about 10 hours earlier on their road trip.
Officers then contacted the registered owner of the BMW by phone, which is when she told them both she and the suspect drove from San Diego to Indianapolis several days ago, and that Davis “left her stranded there” and then took her vehicle, the officer wrote in the report.
When she asked the suspect where he had taken the car, Davis allegedly told her “ he was hanging with friends and didn’t know where the car was.”
She also confirmed that the handgun found in the vehicle matched the one owned by the suspect, didn’t know who the two girls the suspect was traveling with were, and told police that she was the sole owner of the car and wanted to press charges against the suspect for taking the BMW. Police said this was supported by the fact that her license, wallet and bags were all still inside of the car at the time, and she was the only person listed as the owner.
During a background check of the suspect, officers found multiple felony convictions from 2008 to 2015, including a robbery conviction, which is a Category 1 firearm restriction.
Davis was transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility facing two second-degree felony counts, including one count of vehicle theft and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person. He also faces a third-degree felony charge of unlawful acquisition of a financial card as well as misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia.
The suspect was charged the following day and made an initial appearance in 5th District Court Friday. He remains in custody on $26,680 bail.
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