An Erda man has been charged with three felony counts connected to alleged sexual activity and explicit images exchanged with a minor. 

Blake Julian Gould, 20, is charged with two counts of third-degree felony unlawful sexual activity and one count of third-degree felony distribution of pornography by an adult. 

Tooele County Sheriff’s detectives received a case from Tooele City police concerning a 14-year-old victim who was caught exchanging sexually explicit messages and pictures with Gould in October 2018, according to a probable cause statement. Gould was 19 at the time. 

Investigators met with the victim and her mother at the Tooele County Children’s Justice Center in Tooele, where the victim was interviewed, the statement said. The victim admitted her mother found sexually explicit messages between her and Gould, and had read them. 

The victim also said she had sex with Gould twice, in July 2018 and September 2018, at his home in Erda, according to the probable cause statement. The victim said she sent nude photos of herself to Gould, and he sent her a sexually explicit picture and a video.

Gould is scheduled to make his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on March 27 at 11 a.m. before Judge Matthew Bates.

A Tooele man who pleaded guilty to felony sexual abuse of a minor in 2003 has been charged with felony sexual exploitation of a minor in 3rd District Court. 

Jeremy Lee Bobeda, 45, is charged with two counts of second-degree felony sexual exploitation of a minor. Charges were filed against Bobeda on March 14 and he was scheduled to make his initial appearance Tuesday morning. 

Tooele City police took a report from a witness on Feb. 14, who said his 4-year-old grandchild told him Bobeda, who was in a position of trust, had made them lay on his chest in their underwear and rub their body, the probable cause statement said. The witness said the victim told him Bobeda would take pictures of the victim in their underwear while in the bathtub. 

The victim’s mother told police the victim had told their brother that Bobeda made them take their underwear off and sit on his lap to take pictures, the statement said. During an interview at the Tooele County Children’s Justice Center, the victim said Bobeda took pictures of them while they were naked in the shower. 

Tooele City police obtained a search warrant for Bobeda’s phone, on which investigators found nude pictures of the victim, according to the probable cause statement. 

Bobeda was on parole for a conviction of sexual abuse of a minor at the time of the offense, the statement said. Bobeda pleaded guilty to two amended counts of sexual abuse of a minor in February 2003, and was sentenced to one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison for both counts, to be served concurrently.

Three people were injured in an accident Tuesday morning on eastbound Interstate 80 near the overpass bridge for exit 99, according to Utah Highway Patrol. 

A contractor for a portable toilet company was servicing the portable toilets in the bridge reconstruction area at milepost 99 on eastbound I-80 at 9:18 a.m., UHP said. The contractor was driving a 5,000-gallon capacity tanker truck and attempted to drive across the eastbound lanes of travel. 

The tanker truck pulled out in front of a commercial vehicle hauling double trailers of gravel rock product, according to UHP. The commercial vehicle attempted to avoid colliding with the tanker truck but was unsuccessful. 

The resulting collision caused a substantial fuel spill and the 5,000 gallon tank was breached, UHP reported. Both vehicles sustained major damage and the Utah Department of Transportation Traffic Twitter account reported both eastbound I-80 lanes were closed at the scene of the accident, with traffic diverted off at exit 99. Traffic can re-enter I-80 via the exit 99 on-ramp. 

The driver of the tanker truck was transported to Mountain West Medical Center in good condition, according to UHP. A passenger in the tanker truck was flown to the University of Utah hospital by medical helicopter in fair condition with head and leg injuries. 

The driver of the commercial vehicle was treated and released at the scene of the accident, UHP said. 

The hard closure of the intersection is expected to last for several hours for the recovery and clean up, UHP said.

Another change has put replacement of a pair of railroad overpass bridges on Interstate 80 on hold, while work continues on the exit 99 interchange, according to the Utah Department of Transportation. 

Unexpected nationwide organizational changes within Union Pacific Railroad, which owns the tracks under the I-80 overpass bridges, caused agreements necessary to complete work on and near the railroad facility to be put on hold this winter, according to Courtney Samuel, UDOT Region 2 senior communications manager. 

Due to the organizational changes, UDOT is working with Union Pacific to re-establish a point of contact for the agreements approval, Samuel said. The delays in completing the agreements have caused delays in the schedule for the bridges near Black Rock, but the agreement process is ongoing. 

Without the Union Pacific agreements in place, the schedule and projected completion date of the project remain unknown, Samuel said. The railroad overpass bridges were originally scheduled for completion by December. 

Due to changes to the timeline of the railroad overpass project, construction crews have shifted their focus to the state Route 36 flyover bridge in Lake Point, according to Samuel. 

The deck to the bridge could be poured as early as April 8 during evening hours, Samuel said. While the deck is poured, eastbound I-80 will be fully closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. at the bridge. 

Motorists on eastbound I-80 will detour off the highway at Exit 99, then reconnect to I-80 at the eastbound on-ramp in Lake Point during the closure. 

There will also be intermittent lane closures during daytime, off-peak hours while preliminary work continues. UDOT expects to complete work on the SR-36 flyover by this fall. 

The replacement project for the three bridges has an estimated price tag of $45.7 million, according to UDOT. The initial work on the exit 99 overpass began last spring but had been on hold for several months while the earthen support for the ramp settled. 

On the railroad overpass railroad bridge project on I-80 near Black Rock, crews will build a temporary bridge south of the eastbound lanes, Samuel said. Once the temporary bridge is constructed, both lanes of eastbound traffic will be moved onto the newly built structure.

At that time, westbound traffic will be moved onto the existing eastbound bridge while crews demolish and rebuild the westbound bridge, according to Samuel. 

Once the westbound bridge is complete, it will be wide enough to take two lanes in each direction, Samuel said. Both directions of traffic will be moved to the new westbound bridge while the eastbound bridge is removed and replaced, and the temporary bridge will be removed. 

When the eastbound bridge is complete, both lanes of traffic will go back to their normal bridges.

A possible new housing type, already in the community but not permitted by code, was the focus of a discussion by the Tooele City Council during its work meeting on March 20.

Accessory dwelling units are a second, small dwelling on the same property as a primary residence, according to Tooele City Attorney Roger Baker. Examples include basement apartments, garage apartments, carriage houses or tiny homes.

Baker said the state’s housing gap has become a focus of discussions during the past few sessions of the state Legislature and for policy groups like the Utah League of Cities and Towns. 

“The primary topic of discussion that has risen to the top of the political agendas has been the housing gap,” Baker said. “…The housing gap is simply the disparity between the amount of available housing units and the number of families needing housing.” 

Baker said 40,000 families are looking for more housing than is available, including apartments. 

“Most of them are young people and most of those young people are the children of Utah families,” he said. “They’re not imports. They’re homegrown.”

The Legislature has also put the responsibility of attracting housing on local municipalities, Baker claimed, by offering a variety of affordable incoming housing. 

“A city’s regulatory climate can affect whether a developer chooses to build housing,” Baker said. “If our regulations are too difficult or too strict or too rigid, then it’s too hard to build housing, especially creative housing, and it won’t get built.”

While Tooele City offers a variety of affordable housing options, Baker presented accessory dwelling units as an option that is currently not allowed by the code.

Baker said accessory dwelling units already exist around the nation, state and city, but are technically prohibited by Tooele City code. One benefit of permitting the units is it would legitimize those that already exist in the city, he said. 

Other benefits include allowing older couples, whose children have moved away, to “age in place,” and remain on their property, either in the accessory dwelling unit or primary residence. 

“And they can stay on their property, in their neighborhood, in their church congregation, with their social networks and groups,” Baker said. “It can be a really important social tool for neighborhood health, by allowing people to age in place.”

Accessory dwelling units would also allow young couples, single people and older people to avoid being shunted into housing for their demographics, incorporating them into existing communities, according to Baker. It would also allow for a gentle density increase, as opposed to the construction of apartment buildings or other multi-family housing. 

The units could also delay the loss of fields, hillsides and other greenspace to new development, according to Baker, as well as possibly reducing single-family yard irrigation.  

Tooele City Council Chairman Steve Pruden said it’s unlikely the accessory dwelling units would be rampant due to restrictions on where the units could be built. 

In an early draft of a proposed ordinance, accessory dwelling units would be permitted in all single-family residential zoning districts. Rules about lot coverage would apply, however, with structures only allowed to cover 35 percent of the lot, with 20-30 foot front and back setbacks and 6-12 foot side setbacks. 

A 10-foot buffer would need to exist between the accessory dwelling unit and the primary residence if the unit is built externally. Baker’s proposed ordinance would require the units be no less than 300 square feet and no larger than 1,200 square feet, with a maximum of two bedrooms. 

Councilman Scott Wardle expressed concern about parking with the accessory dwelling units, as only one additional on-site parking spot would need to be created for the unit. Baker said many single-family residential lots already have more parking than required due to setback depths, especially in homes with a two-car garage. 

Councilman Dave McCall said he’d like to see a lot size minimum of 10,000 square feet to be part of the ordinance. Wardle also suggested creating a trial area to see how accessory dwelling units work before possibly expanding the units to the rest of the city. 

The council also discussed requiring the external accessory dwelling units to be constructed on-site. Baker’s proposed ordinance would require the units to “have the same or substantially similar architectural features, materials and colors as the primary dwelling.” 

The City Council only discussed the ordinance during its work meeting and no action was taken on Baker’s proposed ordinance.

A pair of subdivision final plats — one for a housing development and another for Tooele City’s new police station — were given positive recommendations, while the city’s parking code was under review during the city’s planning commission meeting Wednesday evening. 

The planning commission first recommended approval on the final plat for the third phase of the Providence at Overlake subdivision, in single-family residential zoning. The 12-acre property, located near 400 West and north of 1000 North, was advertised on the planning commission’s agenda as being 25 lots; the actual number of lots was 48. 

In the supporting material available through the city’s website but not through the state’s public notice website, the number of lots is accurately listed as 48. 

Commissioner Melanie Hammer asked if there was any problem with how the agenda item was listed, as it misrepresented the number of lots. Tooele City Attorney Roger Baker said there wasn’t in his opinion, as the public was given adequate notice the subdivision was being discussed at Wednesday’s meeting. 

The commission also recommended approval of a subdivision final plat that consolidated five parcels into a single lot at the site of the future home of the Tooele City Police Department on Garden Street. The recommendation also includes vacating overhead power line easements and creating public utility and drainage easements along the perimeter of the newly created parcel. 

The Municipal Building Authority of Tooele City approved a maximum $8.5 million contract for construction of the police station during its March 20 meeting, including 3 percent in contingency and approximately 3.5 percent in possible but unanticipated costs. The City is expected to close on a $9 million loan through the state’s Permanent Community Impact Fund Board on April 3.

The planning commission also spent time Wednesday discussing proposed amendments to the city’s code on parking. The proposed changes include requiring public safety aisles in parking lots to ensure large public safety equipment can get through and clarifying lot dimensions and parking requirements.

Six cases involving felony charges were dismissed without prejudice in 3rd District Court on Tuesday, then refiled with reduced charges in Tooele County Justice Court the same day. 

In each case, the defendant pleaded guilty to the new charges in justice court the same day.

Richard Vaness Carson, 36, was charged with second-degree felony burglary and misdemeanor counts of theft and theft by deception. 

Those charges were dismissed without prejudice and he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft by deception in justice court, then was sentenced to 180 days probation and required to pay a fine of $680 and complete 34 hours of community service. 

Christopher Scott Eichenlaub, 29, was charged with second-degree felony possession or use of a controlled substance and misdemeanor use or possession of drug paraphernalia. 

The charges were dismissed without prejudice and he pleaded guilty to the newly filed misdemeanor charges of possession or use of a controlled substance and use or possession of drug paraphernalia in justice court. Eichenlaub was sentenced to pay a fine of $3,000.

Anthony Craig Hanson, 50, was charged with third-degree felony purchase, transfer, possession or use of a firearm by a restricted person and misdemeanor counts of possession or use of a controlled substance, use or possession of drug paraphernalia and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 

The charges against Hanson were all dismissed without prejudice and he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of use or possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a measurable controlled substance in Tooele County Justice Court. He is required to pay $1,150 in fines and is placed on probation for one year. 

Christopher James Harris, 41, had been charged in 3rd District Court with second-degree felony possession or use of a controlled substance and misdemeanor use or possession of drug paraphernalia. 

Those charges were dismissed without prejudice and he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of possession or use of a controlled substance and use or possession of drug paraphernalia. A $3,000 fine payment was received after the guilty plea was filed and the justice court case was closed the day it was filed. 

Dennis Richard Pullen, 42, had been charged with second-degree felony possession or use of a controlled substance and misdemeanor use or possession of drug paraphernalia. The charges were dismissed without prejudice and new charges were filed in Tooele County Justice Court. 

Pullen pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of possession or use of a controlled substance and use or possession of drug paraphernalia in justice court Tuesday. After the court received a $3,000 fine payment, the case was closed the same day. 

Justin Isreal Perez, 40, was charged with second-degree felony possession or use of a controlled substance and misdemeanor use or possession of drug paraphernalia in district court. 

After the charges were dismissed without prejudice, Perez pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of possession or use of a controlled substance and use or possession of drug paraphernalia. After a $3,000 fine was paid, the case against Perez was closed.

A Salt Lake City woman made her initial appearance in 3rd District Court Monday on charges connected to a heroin drop last July. 

Marie G. Hernandez, 24, is charged with first-degree felony distribution of a controlled substance. 

On Aug. 7, a Tooele County Sheriff’s sergeant and detective searched the women’s restroom in the  lobby of the Tooele County Detention Center and discovered 28 grams of heroin, according to a probable cause statement. The heroin was hidden between the garbage bag and the bottom of the garbage receptacle. 

Following a review of surveillance footage, investigators discovered a woman, later identified as Hernandez, had visited Fernando Samora, an inmate at the jail, the statement said. Following her visit with Samora, Hernandez visited the women’s restroom in the lobby. 

Investigators reviewed all recent recordings of telephone conversations between Hernandez and Samora, the probable cause statement said. In those conversations, Samora arranged for Hernandez to hide the heroin in the bathroom, with instructions on how to do it. 

Samora, 25, was charged with third-degree felony possession of a controlled substance within a correctional facility in Aug. 16, 2018. 

During her initial appearance in 3rd District Court on Monday, Hernandez was appointed counsel. She is scheduled to return to court for a scheduling conference on April 30 at 1:30 p.m.

Three Tooele County residents are facing multiple criminal charges in 3rd District Court after they allegedly broke into a storage unit and stole credit cards and identifying documents.

Korey Douglas Hickman, 29, and Travis Leif Starkey, 27, both of Tooele, are charged with third-degree felony burglary, third-degree felony unlawful acquisition, possession and transfer of a financial card, third-degree felony possession of another’s identity documents and misdemeanor theft. 

Samantha Renee Butler, 27, of Grantsville, is charged with third-degree felony burglary.

A Tooele City police detective was contacted by Grantsville City police after they arrested Butler on Jan. 10 for DUI and found numerous stolen items belonging to two people, according to a probable cause statement. One of the victims told police their storage unit had been burglarized and items, including a credit card and personal identification papers, were stolen. 

On Jan. 15, Tooele City police were investigating another matter at Starkey’s residence, where they found some of the victim’s stolen property, the statement said. In an interview with police, Starkey said the stolen property was dropped off at his residence by Hickman. 

A week later, police interviewed Hickman who admitted he, Butler and Starkey broke into the victim’s storage unit and stole items valued at about $1,500, according to the probable cause statement. Among the stolen items were multiple identification papers and a financial transaction card. 

Starkey made his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on March 12 and bail was set at $5,000. He is scheduled to return to court before Judge Matthew Bates on April 2 for a scheduling conference. 

Butler appeared in court Monday, where she was appointed counsel. She is scheduled for a scheduling conference on April 30 at 1:30 p.m. 

Hickman also made his initial appearance on Monday, where he was appointed counsel and bail was set at $5,000. He is scheduled to return to court on April 16 at 9 a.m. 

The Utah Transit Authority is reviewing changes, which include expanding the frequency of bus trips between Tooele County and Salt Lake City, and the public can discuss them during a public hearing Thursday. 

The proposed changes would take effect this August and could affect many of the bus routes in the county. 

Riders on route 451, which runs from Tooele City to the Benson Gristmill park-and-ride then on to downtown Salt Lake City, will have its one-way trip fare reduced from $5.50 to $2.50. The hours of service are expected to expand slightly during rush hour, according to UTA, and it adds stops from the former Route 453. 

The existing Route 454, between Grantsville and downtown Salt Lake, will expand from one trip each way to five trips each way. The route, which connects through the Benson Gristmill park-and-ride, includes stops at Salt Lake International Airport and along North Temple, before ending in downtown. 

Both routes 451 and 454 will continue to service downtown Salt Lake City.

The new route F453 will be a midday flex route between the 2400 North Tooele park-and-ride to the Benson Gristmill park-and-ride, then to the Salt Lake International Center. The route ends at the Power Station stop on the Trax Green Line. The route will run hourly midday in both directions and connect to flex or shuttle services in Tooele County, as well as bus and TRAX service in Salt Lake County. 

The route F453 service will be offered between approximately 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., while routes 451 and 454 will not be operating. Current route 453 riders will now use route 451 in Tooele, then transfer to route 454 at the Benson Gristmill park-and-ride, to reach the International Center, airport or North Temple stops. 

Other possible changes include the discontinuation of route F401 between Grantsville and the Benson Gristmill. Another proposed change is additional trips on route F400, which is a flex route between the 2400 North park-and-ride and Tooele Technical College, with possible stops near the Tooele Senior Center, Mountain West Medical Center and Walmart. 

The public hearing on the proposed changes will be held Thursday from 4:30-7:30 p.m. in the basement auditorium of the Tooele County Building at 47 S. Main St., Tooele. Comments on the proposed changes this August can also be submitted online at rideuta.com, by email at hearingofficer@rideuta.com, by phone at 801-237-1952, or mail at Utah Transit Authority, 669 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, c/o Eric Callison.

A protracted 12-year-old battle between an Erda family and Salt Lake City over avigation easements near Tooele Valley Airport continued in a City Council work session on Friday. 

At the meeting, Neil Kunz said rather than deal with the easements, his family would prefer to sell its property and homes to Salt Lake City, which owns the airport. He said the tight proximity to the airport makes their holdings incompatible with residential use. 

“My father and I realized we just wanted the airport to buy us out,” Kunz said. “You need it. I don’t want to have a right of flight. These surfaces that are required are going to allow planes to be within 10 feet of my house and my mother’s house.” 

Kunz said the instrument landing system installed in April 2008 allows planes to now land at the regional airport at all hours and has been awakened by planes flying nearby at 3 a.m. 

The Kunz family’s lawyer, Robert Mansfield, called the city’s attempt to take property by eminent domain “an absolute abomination.” He said when the process began in March 2007, the late Dick Kunz was limited to only two minutes to speak when he requested the opportunity to make a presentation to the city. 

Mansfield also contended the city has not made an offer to the landowners or done a valuation of the easements. 

“Right now, that hasn’t been done,” he said. “No effort has been made to value the avigation easement that’s sought to be taken and never has.”

In the documentation included with a press release prior to Friday’s hearing, various appraisals of the property affected by the easement are mentioned, including $281,000 on Jan. 24, 2007, and $434,000 on Jan. 18, 2008. 

“No offer approximating the $434,000 was ever made to the Landowners to acquire an avigation easement over their property,” the documentation said. The total acreage affected by the easements is 12.21 acres, according to documents in the council’s package. 

After the presentations by the Kunz family and Mansfield, the City Council entered a closed session that lasted about 45 minutes.

During the meeting on Friday, the City Council adopted a resolution that would authorize eminent domain proceedings for the airspace easements near Tooele Valley Airport, while also allowing the city to pursue the purchase of the Kunz family’s property if an agreement can be reached.

A half-dozen tax increment agreements were approved by the Tooele City Council and the city’s redevelopment agency during meetings Wednesday night. 

The tax increment agreements primarily focused on the Broadway Community Development Project Area. According to Tooele City Mayor Debbie Winn, the project area involves the vacant Broadway Hotel. 

 “So we do have a developer that is interested in coming in and redoing that hotel and also building some adjacent buildings to it for some affordable housing units, which is so desperately needed,” Winn said. 

The agreements with Tooele County, Tooele County School District and Tooele City, would involve the taxing entities allocating 75% of the additional tax revenue raised by redeveloping the property to the RDA for a period of 10 years. The project area is expected to produce $47,959 in additional tax revenue per year. 

Under the 10 year deal, a total of $35,969 annually would go to the RDA, with $34,171 toward redevelopment activities such as infrastructure and incentives, and $1,798 for administration. The remaining increase in annual property tax revenue would be split according to tax rate, with $1,299 to Tooele County, $8,057 to the school district and $2,634 to Tooele City. 

The Tooele City Council approved the tax increment agreement during its business meeting Wednesday night. The RDA board, which is comprised of the City Council members, then approved agreements with the city, county and school district in a following meeting. 

The RDA board also approved a tax increment participation agreement with Tooele County for the 1000 North Retail Community Reinvestment Project Area. The project involves 33 acres southwest of the intersection of 1000 North and Main Street.

Under the agreement, 75% of additional property tax revenue from the development of the property would go to the RDA, with the county receiving the remaining 25%. The county’s estimated annual portion is $14,416 and the RDA’s is $43,247.

Winn said the county was willing to make the deal based upon the increase to other taxes, especially sales tax, which would net a projected increase of more than $402,000 in revenue. The county approved the tax increment agreement during its March 19 meeting. 

“When you see the numbers, it just all makes sense,” she said. “So they were very, very supportive of this project.”

The Tooele City Council gave the go-ahead for a new irrigation system at Elton Park and a pavilion at the Oquirrh Hills Golf Course during its meeting Wednesday evening. 

The City Council approved a $450,000 contract with Landscapes Unlimited for an automated irrigation system at Elton Park, including the point of connection. New parks and recreation director Darwin Cook said there is an unknown issues with the meter connection which could cause an increase to the project’s total cost. 

If the change order amount exceeds $20,000, then it would be brought before the council for approval, Cook said. 

The irrigation system contract was approved unanimously on a motion by Councilwoman Melodi Gochis, seconded by Councilman Brad Pratt. 

The City Council also approved a $210,720 contract with Christensen & Griffith Construction Company, of Tooele, for a pavilion at the Oquirrh Hills Golf Course clubhouse. The 45-foot by 54-foot pavilion will be available to the community for events and paid for using park impact fees and Parks, Arts and Recreation tax revenue. 

“This will be a great asset for the golf course for the many tournaments and different events that take place there,” Cook said. 

The pavilion contract was approved unanimously on a motion by Councilman Scott Wardle, seconded by Councilman Dave McCall.

Cook also provided an update on two projects underway in city parks. Work on the pickleball courts on the former tennis courts at Elton Park is already underway and on track to finish in mid-May, he said. 

The installation of restrooms at the city park near Pratt Aquatic Center is underway as well, with an anticipated completion date at the end of May.

After a dreary morning, the skies over Tooele City cleared Wednesday afternoon, giving a sunny backdrop to the ceremonial groundbreaking at the site of the future Tooele City Police Department.

A portion of Garden Street behind Tooele City Hall was blocked off to traffic as the entire police department and various residents and local political figures were in attendance. Law enforcement coverage in the city was provided by Tooele County Sheriff’s Office and Grantsville City Police Department during the brief ceremony.

“This is such a great day for Tooele City, especially for our residents and for our police force,” said Tooele City Mayor Debbie Winn.

Winn was quick to thank the city’s residents, who shouldered an 82 percent property tax increase from the city this fiscal year. 

“You endured a tax increase last year that is funding this building that is so desperately needed,” she said. “And I appreciate all of you very much and on behalf of the (City) Council, we appreciate you very much.” 

After acknowledging the “not-so-nice surroundings” the police department has occupied for the past 30 years, Winn said she hoped the new building — slated for completion in 11 months — would make up for it. The current police station at 323 N. Main St. is a former auto parts store, which has inadequate bathroom facilities and a leaking roof, among other deficiencies. 

For his part, Tooele City Police Chief Ron Kirby thanked Winn and the City Council for their support. He also praised his officers and staff for holding themselves to high standards. 

“I think something that we don’t always recognize in getting a project like this to come to fruition is something like this rests largely on the backs and reputation of the officers of Tooele City,” Kirby said. “If the officers don’t have a good reputation, projects like this are very hard to get funded.”

While he said he’s received positive support from people who have said they’re glad the department is getting a new building, Kirby said he believed the building is for all Tooele City citizens. 

“This is your building, for you, so that you can receive the best law enforcement services that are possible in our day and age,” he said.

The new police station will provide more space for officers, but also amenities such as a community room, more secure evidence storage and a crime lab. 

“Law enforcement is moving forward in ways that a lot of us don’t fully appreciate,” said. “I anticipate it won’t be too many years from now that we’ll be doing DNA analysis in this new building.”

Also in attendance at the groundbreaking were representatives from Salt Lake City-based firms JRCA Architects, which is designing the 21,000-square-foot station, and Big-D Construction, the primary contractor. 

The City Council approved an $8.46 million guaranteed maximum price contract with Big-D Construction during its March 20 meeting. The guaranteed maximum price contract sets a ceiling on the amount the city could possibly pay for construction of the facility.

A $9 million loan through the state’s Permanent Community Impact Fund Board has been obtained by the city to pay for the facility. The loan has a 30-year term at 2.5 percent interest, with an annual debt service of $417,000. 

The property on Garden Street, which was previously occupied by six homes, was purchased over time by Tooele City since 2006. During its meeting Wednesday night, the City Council approved the subdivision final plat to combine the properties into a single parcel.

A Grantsville woman is facing felony charges in two separate cases after she allegedly threatened people and kicked a corrections deputy at the jail. 

Karly R. Hill, 40, is charged with third-degree felony aggravated assault, third-degree felony domestic violence in the presence of a child, as well as misdemeanor counts of attempted escape from official custody and interference with an arresting officer. Hill is also charged with third-degree felony assault by a prisoner in a separate case. 

Grantsville City police officers were dispatched to a suspicious incident on Willow Street on March 31, according to a probable cause statement. When the responding officer made contact with Hill, “she was not making any sense” and seemed to be confused. 

Hill was holding a young child and did not want anyone to touch them, the statement said. She was talking about an incident from years ago and her family said she didn’t make any sense and believed she may be under the influence of drugs. 

One of her relatives told police Hill was acting strangely and carrying scissors and the child, the probable cause statement said. Fearing for the child, the relative went to grab them and Hill swung the scissors at her. 

When the officer went outside to speak with Hill again, she went to run into the house, the statement said. The officer attempted to hold Hill by her arm to place her in handcuffs and she fought against him. 

Once she was handcuffed and taken to a patrol vehicle, Hill attempted to run, according to the probable cause statement. It took several officers to get Hill into the patrol vehicle and to the Tooele County Detention Center. 

The following day at the jail, Hill was transported to a padded cell for a “cool down period,” a technique used by corrections deputy to “illustrate to uncooperative inmates that their behavior will not be tolerated,” according to the probable cause statement. At one point in transporting Hill, she picked up her feet and refused to walk, so deputies had to carry her down a set of stairs. 

While she was being carried, Hill kicked a corrections deputy in the face, before they completed escorting her to the padded cell. 

Hill was scheduled to appear in 3rd District Court on Monday but was not present and a $5,000 bench warrant was issued.

A South Jordan woman made her initial appearance in 3rd District Court on Monday after she allegedly drove at dangerous speeds on Interstate 80 and wouldn’t let her passengers out. 

Amanda Janelle Hardy, 31, is charged with second-degree felony kidnapping, third-degree felony wrongful appropriation and misdemeanor reckless endangerment. 

Law enforcement were called out on a report of a person, later identified as Hardy, as driving eastbound on Interstate 80 in the westbound lanes, according to a probable cause statement. The victims, who were passengers in the vehicle, said Hardy had insisted on driving out to Wendover to gamble. 

While on their way to Wendover, Hardy became paranoid and accused the passengers, including the registered of the vehicle, of wanting to kill her, the probable cause statement said. She began driving erratically and reached speeds of 130 mph and would not keep her eyes on the road. 

One of the victims told Hardy she no longer had permission to drive the car and to stop so she could drive, the probable cause statement said. Hardy refused to stop or let the passengers out, driving erratically past Wendover’s exits and into Nevada. 

The owner of the vehicle managed to jump into Hardy’s lap and took the wheel, slamming on the brakes, according to the probable cause statement. The two passengers were able to flee the vehicle and Hardy, driving the wrong way on I-80, was found at mile marker 27 in Tooele County. 

During her initial appearance in 3rd District Court on Monday, Hardy was scheduled to return to court for a scheduling conference on April 16 at 9 a.m.

A 3-year-old child is back home in Stansbury Park and doing well after falling out a window Friday morning and requiring an airlift to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. 

The child was at an upstairs bedroom window, which was open but there was a screen in place, according to Tooele County Sheriff Lt. Travis Scharmann. There was possibly a dog outside, which caused the child to lean on the screen and it popped out, sending the child falling to the driveway below. 

The parents quickly arranged for a neighbor to drive the child to the hospital, Scharmann said. Around 10:45 a.m., the neighbor, the child and his mother were pulled over by a Utah Highway Patrol trooper for speeding. 

The trooper called for an ambulance and the child was then flown by medical helicopter to  Primary Children’s Hospital, according to Scharmann. 

As a result of the tumble onto the concrete driveway, the child suffered a non-life-threatening skull fracture and rib fracture, according to Scharmann. As of Monday, the child had already returned home and was doing well.

The yard in front of the Tooele County Children’s Justice Center is full of flags, which are in turn full of meaning. 

Each of the yellow, red, and blue flags represent a child interviewed at the justice center in 2018. All told, there were 256 children interviewed at the justice center for alleged abuse last year, according to office coordinator Kari Sorensen. 

“It’s pretty shocking to see the amount that we do interview,” Sorensen said. 

The number of flags is lower, however, than the number of cases the justice center advocates for, Sorensen said. 

“So there’s actually more cases than that that we advocate for, because some children are not verbal and can’t be interviewed or there’s some circumstances where the children might not be interviewed here,” she said. 

The flags are intended to raise awareness about the mission of the Children’s Justice Center and National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

At the justice center, children can be interviewed in a home-like environment with a minimal amount of trauma to child victims of physical or sexual abuse. Audio and video equipment is used to document the interview for evidentiary purposes, while limiting the need for subsequent interviews. 

The Children’s Justice Center also provides counseling and treatment referrals, victim and witness support services, case progress tracking and monitoring, and community and professional education on abuse issues, among other services. 

Sorensen said awareness is important to let the community know how they can help and that they’re required to report abuse if they become aware of it, either to Child Protective Services or local law enforcement. 

Also in April, The Friends Board of the Children’s Justice Center will be holding an online fundraiser at tccjc.rocketraiser.club, with all proceeds going directly to the board, and to fund the new center being built across the street from the existing home. Donations of any amount will be accepted, with all donors entered to win two round-trip tickets provided by JetBlue. 

“We just thought it would be a great way to have an online fundraiser and also to help spread awareness because if people hear about that, then they might look more into what that’s about,” Sorensen said. 

The board will also hold an open house at the justice center on Wednesday, April 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. The open house will include a tour of the current center, a progress report on the center under construction and information on how to be involved. 

The new justice center, funded by Tooele County and donations and funds from the center’s Friends Board, is expected to be completed mid-summer, according to Sorensen. Despite its larger size and new construction, the new center is intended to invoke the same feel for victims. 

“It still looks like a home so it will still be a home-like environment,” Sorensen said. “It will still be comfortable for the kids.”

The larger center will also help employees of the Children’s Justice Center to keep pace with the increasing number of child abuse cases in the county, according to Sorensen. 

“Especially last year, our numbers have really grown and even this year, we’ve seen our numbers already have been a lot more than they’ve been in the past,” she said. “So we just need so many things we don’t have in this house.” 

The Children’s Justice Center currently has three employees and eight regular volunteers.

The trial scheduled for later this month in the 2011 murder of Evelynne Derricott has been canceled with a pretrial hearing now set for May 7. 

Rogelio Diaz Jr., 26, of West Valley City, is charged with first-degree felony murder, first-degree felony aggravated burglary and second-degree felony theft. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during an appearance in 3rd District Court in November 2016.

During a final pretrial conference on Tuesday, the jury trial set for April 22-26 was struck by 3rd District Court Judge Matthew Bates and a pretrial conference was scheduled for May 7 at 9 a.m. Diaz’s attorney, Edward Brass, said the defense was not ready to go to trial as an expert witness was not ready. 

The Diaz murder trial has been rescheduled several times, most recently in November 2018, when a jury trial was canceled that was originally scheduled for Nov. 26-28. The current court dates, struck on Tuesday, were scheduled on Dec. 4. 

Diaz was arrested in May 2016 in connection with the October 2011 murder of Tooele City resident Evelynne Derricott.

Tooele City police detectives received a break in the case when they used familial DNA testing, a technique that matches samples of DNA evidence from a crime scene to relatives in the state’s DNA identification system.

DNA samples found on a hammer, believed to be the murder weapon, and on the steering wheel of Derricott’s stolen car, were a near match to a member of Diaz’s family in the state’s DNA database.

Police were able to eliminate other family members who were already in the state DNA database or outside the country at the time of Derricott’s murder.

After narrowing in on Diaz, police obtained DNA samples from a used energy drink can and work gloves that he discarded. The DNA profile from the can and gloves matched the DNA found on the hammer and steering wheel and Diaz was arrested.

A Tooele man has been charged with three total felony counts in two separate cases in 3rd District Court.

Randy E. Hunter, 40, is charged with two counts of second-degree felony sex abuse of a child in a case filed Feb. 15. He is also charged with third-degree felony burglary and misdemeanor theft, in a case filed on Wednesday. 

On Jan. 6, Tooele City police received a report a 7-year-old victim had been touched by Hunter, according to the probable cause statement. During an interview with investigators, the victim described the abuse, in which Hunter touched them sexually and made them touch him. 

After charges were filed in 3rd District Court on Feb. 15, a $50,000 warrant was issued for Hunter on Feb. 26.

On March 29, a Tooele City police officer was dispatched to an apartment complex regarding a burglary the night before, a probable cause statement said. The reporting party indicated the maintenance room at the complex had been burglarized and a hedge trimmer and cordless drill motor were taken. 

The following day, Hunter was arrested for his outstanding warrant and interviewed in connection with the burglary at the apartment complex, the statement said. Hunter admitted to burglarizing the maintenance room and said the stolen items were in a vehicle in Tooele City. 

After a search warrant was obtained for the vehicle, the stolen items were recovered, according to the probable cause statement. 

Hunter made his initial appearance in 3rd District Court on the sex abuse case on Monday, where his bail was set at $50,000 and he was appointed an attorney. He is scheduled to return to court for a scheduling conference on April 16 at 9 a.m. before Judge Matthew Bates. 

Hunter will also make his initial appearance in the burglary case on April 16 at 9 a.m. before Bates.