CEDAR CITY – Owners of a local comedy club who arrived at their business to find it broken into Saturday night described the suspect on site as “out of it.”
The owners of Off the Cuff comedy club showed up to open the doors for the night’s entertainment when they found William Bernard Devin Aune II inside the business where he remained talking with the owners until Cedar City Police arrived and took him into custody.
Aune is facing charges of burglary of a business using forced entry and criminal mischief – both third-degree felonies.
He could also be looking at assault on a police officer, theft, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest – all misdemeanors.
According to the charging documents, the 28-year-old homeless Cedar City man allegedly broke into the business via the back door and caused $2,000 in estimated damage to the property once inside.
“They (the club owners) found that he had caused a great deal of damage to the property inside the business and he had gained entry by breaking in and damaging a door at the rear of the business,” Officer Matt Topham wrote in his report.
Police found the suspect wearing an Off the Cuff T-shirt valued at around $10 that he had allegedly stolen.
“There were several other of these shirts that had been destroyed by William as well,” the documents state.
Based on the level of vandalism and violence used in damaging the club, Topham told Aune he could be charged with disorderly conduct if he continued to act aggressively, according to the report.
Aune seemed confused and told police he didn’t know why he did what they were saying he did.
Charging documents state Aune “appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance” at the time yet he “adamantly denied using any drug” that day.
Topham transported the suspect to Valley View Hospital for a medical clearance.
While there, Aune complained of the handcuffs hurting him. Topham said he told the suspect he would try and make him more comfortable by handcuffing each wrist to the side of the gurney instead of behind his back as they were at the time.
When the officer uncuffed one of Aune’s wrist, the documents allege, the suspect reportedly became aggressive using his free hand to punch the officer in the left side of his face.
Aune is being held in the Iron County Correctional Facility with $20,000 bail required for his release pending court process.
Aune is also facing additional charges in two other cases filed earlier this month. In those incidents, he was arrested for suspicion of electronic communication harassment and criminal mischief following an incident in which he continued to send multiple text messages to a former girlfriend. Later, he allegedly showed up at her home uninvited and tried kicking the door in, court records state.
Charging documents in that case report these charges were enhanced to class A misdemeanors due to a prior domestic violence conviction.
In the other case, Aune was arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance and possession of paraphernalia, following a drug sting conducted by the Iron Garfield and Beaver Drug Task Force.
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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Oh this poor, misunderstood homeless boy. NOT!