ST. GEORGE — Police arrested two women Tuesday for their alleged involvement in a business burglary in which more than $1,500 was stolen.
Officers took a report Monday of a burglary that had occurred at the Fabulous Freddy’s located at 134 S. River Road. Detectives responded to investigate, and video surveillance was collected, St. George Police Officer Lona Trombley said.
The video footage showed a suspect enter the business through a closed window. The suspect then walked directly toward the business office and stole over $1,500 from a business safe, according to a probable cause statement filed by the St. George Police Department in support of the arrests.
In the video, the suspect appeared to have been talking to someone on a cellphone during the commission of the burglary, according to the statement. The suspect was then observed leaving the business through the same window they entered.
During the investigation, the convenience store’s employees provided detectives with information about a possible suspect, Trombley said. They identified 28-year-old Emmalee Layton, of Washington, who had recently been employed at that business.
Layton was located and interviewed by detectives on Tuesday.
“She was cooperative and confessed to her role as an accomplice in this incident,” Trombley said. “She also admitted to using her knowledge gained as a former employee of the business to help facilitate the burglary.”
Layton told detectives she had acted as a lookout as 26-year-old Mindy Ann Huntsman, of Hurricane, allegedly committed the burglary, the report stated. Layton admitted to calling Huntsman during the alleged crime. Layton also confessed to having received a specific amount of the stolen money from the business.
Hurricane City Police officers located Huntsman on Tuesday. She declined to answer questions about the incident and requested an attorney.
Both women were arrested and transported to the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility.
The Washington County Attorney’s Office filed an information in 5th District Court accusing both Layton and Huntsman of two third-degree felony counts of burglary and theft.
Huntsman received an additional class A misdemeanor charge of methamphetamine possession and a class B misdemeanor for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Both women were released from custody on $10,000 bail pending trial.
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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