Stock image of Washington City Police patrol vehicle | St. News George
WASHINGTON CITY — Three suspects were arrested after an off-duty police officer observed one of the suspects unsuccessfully running multiple credit cards through self-payment at a store in Washington City.
Officers were sent to a home improvement store on Telegraph Street after reports of suspected fraud late Monday, according to a probable cause statement filed to support the arrest.
When officers arrived, they were directed to one of the suspects who was still at the checkout terminal, and as they approached, reports said the suspect ran toward the exit.
His efforts were thwarted when officers grabbed the man and brought him to the ground, which ensued in a fight that resulted in the suspect being handcuffed and detained.
The suspect was later identified as Naranjo Acosta Mayin-Estiven, 24, from Los Angeles, California. Estiven reportedly gave officers a different name when asked to identify himself, but his identity was later confirmed through fingerprint analysis.
Meanwhile, the officer knows the possibility of a second suspect accompanying the suspect. The two were seen inside the store, and he was in the process of exiting the store when a fight broke out near the cash register.
When officers told the woman to stop, she started running and seconds later was restrained by police. She was identified as Erika Paola Aramillio-Moreno, 32, from Sun Valley, a neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Officers also determined that Moreno was an accomplice and was in the shop “for the sole purpose of aiding the crimes stated above,” the officer wrote.
During a review of the store’s security footage, officers observed a third possible suspect, a woman in a pink dress, who was also in the store at the time of the incident.
During an inspection of the area, the woman was seen entering a restaurant across the street from the shop, in what the report described as an “attempt to hide” from police.
She was found by officers and later identified as Maria Huartos Pinzon, 28, also from Los Angeles.
During a search of Etiven, officers found eight financial cards, seven of which were reported stolen in St. George, and one card was reported stolen from Cedar City.
The owners of seven financial cards reported that more than $1,950 was withdrawn from their bank account, in addition to more than $850 in bills at home improvement stores.
The three suspects were arrested and taken to the Purgatory Correctional Facility and put in jail shortly before 6pm
Each faces nine counts of third-degree felony, including eight counts of unlawful use of a financial transaction card and one count of theft. They also face misdemeanor criminal conspiracy charges.
Estiven faces other misdemeanor charges, including resisting arrest, providing false information to a peace officer, and disturbing an arresting officer, while Moreno faces an additional misdemeanor charge of failing to stop a police order.
Washington City Police Chief Jason Williams told St. George News that investigations into these three suspects are ongoing and could result in further charges.
Moreno and Estiven remained held without bail, while Pinzon was later released on his own admission under a court-ordered pretrial release agreement, which Williams said was primarily due to the degree of the suspect’s involvement. He added that although the three were suspected of working together—hence the conspiracy accusations—Pinzon was less involved, besides other factors still being part of the ongoing sedition.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not cover the full scope of the findings. The person who is arrested or prosecuted is presumed innocent until found guilty in court or as determined by trier-of-fact.
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