WASHINGTON COUNTY – Within a 24-month span, a St. George man has been arrested and charged with 25 felonies in six separate incidents of theft-related crimes. The 31-year-old was again arrested Tuesday for theft, among other charges.
When an officer pulled up to a vehicle stopped on the side of the road at 600 N. Snow Canyon Drive, he learned the driver, Tavis Rone McArthur, had an active $5,000 cash-only bail warrant issued by the 5th District Court for his arrest.
McArthur was placed under arrest for the warrant and a search of his vehicle was performed, according to a probable cause statement filed by the Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department in support of the arrest.
During the search, officers found McArthur to be in possession of a stolen bicycle and phone, along with a controlled substance, a metal container which the officer classified as drug para paraphernalia, and a 6-inch fixed knife.
Because McArthur is a convicted felon, it is a crime for him to be in possession of any type of weapon.
McArthur was transported and booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility.
He was charged with two third-degree felony counts of theft and theft of lost property; a class A misdemeanor for unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon; and two class B misdemeanors for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.
Judge John Walton, of the 5th District Court, ordered $5,000 bail for the new charges for McArthur’s release pending trial. He was found indigent by the court during his initial court appearance Tuesday and appointed attorney Douglas Terry as counsel. He is scheduled to make his next appearance in court Monday afternoon.
This is McArthur’s second arrest this month. He was arrested Jan. 19 for third-degree felony theft and that case is still pending.
According to Utah court documents, McArthur has a history of theft-related crimes.
He was arrested in January 2014 on 10 third-degree felony counts of unlawful acquisition of a finance card; the court convicted him on three counts and the others were dismissed without prejudice – meaning the prosecutor could revive those charges, according to court documents. He was then arrested in March 2014 on nine second-degree felony counts of theft by receiving stolen property; again, he was convicted on three counts and the others were dismissed without prejudice.
On Nov. 4, 2015, McArthur was charged with second-degree felony theft by receiving stolen property, along with two misdemeanors for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, according to court documents. Later that same month, on Nov. 26, 2015, he was charged with two third-degree felonies for theft and burglary of a dwelling, along with a misdemeanor for criminal mischief. Both those cases are ongoing.
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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