ST. GEORGE — When authorities pulled over the driver of a speeding minivan Wednesday, they got more than they bargained for – allegedly locating a 16-year-old runaway and pinpointing a suspect in multiple burglaries reported in Southern Utah.
Sheriff’s deputies observed the driver of a minivan speeding in a school zone on Highway 91, Mohave County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Trish Carter said in a news release. The driver was subsequently pulled over at approximately 12:45 p.m. on Highway 91 at Old Pioneer Road.
The driver was taken into custody after he falsely identified himself and failed to produce a driver’s license, Carter said. The driver was ultimately identified by deputies as 48-year-old Seth Samuel Barlow after a Utah identification card was located in his possession.
A records check by law enforcement showed Barlow as having a revoked driver’s license out of Utah, according to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office.
When authorities spoke to Barlow’s female passenger, she initially “provided multiple pieces of false information regarding her identity, claiming to be 20, 21 and 23 years old,” Carter said in her news release.
Further investigation revealed the passenger’s real name and age. A computer check revealed that the 16-year-old passenger was listed in the National Crime Information Center database as a runaway juvenile by the Hurricane City Police Department.
Custody of the 16-year-old was ultimately transferred to Utah Department of Child and Family Services.
An inventory search of Barlow’s vehicle revealed multiple driver’s licenses belonging to other people, along with financial cards, club cards, electronics and other personal items, leading deputies to believe that Barlow may be connected to multiple burglaries in the Southern Utah area, Carter said.
Deputies contacted police agencies in Washington County and Iron County.
“Further investigations showed some of the people whose licenses were found had reported auto burglaries within the past couple months in Utah,” Carter said, “which is leading an additional investigation to determine if there is further reported stolen property in the vehicle.”
Barlow was transported and booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility.
While en route to the jail, Barlow allegedly made threatening statements toward the arresting deputy, Carter said, noting that Barlow repeated his threatening statements, again, upon arrival at the jail.
Barlow was booked on misdemeanor charges of providing a false report to law enforcement, possession of stolen property, threatening/intimidating law enforcement and driving with a revoked license.
“Investigations are continuing into Seth Barlow being located with a runaway juvenile,” Carter said.
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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no crystal meth or heroin was recovered?
No there wasn’t Bob. but I’m sure you have a conspiracy theory on that’s as well