ST. GEORGE — Two unrelated incidents in Mesquite, Nevada, over the weekend landed six suspects, including two Washington County residents, in jail facing multiple charges.
According to a statement released by the Mesquite Police Department on Wednesday, the two incidents, one an investigation and the other a traffic stop, garnered a commendation from Police Chief MaQuade Chesley, who said the arrests on Saturday were a testament to the hard work and dedication his officers put forth to bring criminals to justice.
Mesquite Police Sgt. Wyatt Oliver told St. George News the first incident took place Saturday morning when a patrol detective was making the rounds and noticed a man acting suspicious in the parking lot of one of the area casinos. The officer ran the license plate of the vehicle that seemed to be associated with the man and learned the vehicle was stolen out of Mesquite, Oliver said.
Detectives determined the motel room where the car was currently registered, as well as several individuals that were staying in two rooms and allegedly connected to one another, the report states.
With warrants in hand, officers searched both rooms and recovered a stolen 9 mm handgun, 10 ounces of marijuana, more than 2 ounces of methamphetamine that appeared to be packaged for resale, 3 grams of heroin and drug paraphernalia.
According to the report, officers also located identification documents that did not belong to any of the suspects and which later turned out to be stolen.
Following the search, four suspects were arrested, including two Utah residents: 42-year-old Joel Segler of Laverkin and 29-year-old Tony Seegmiller of Washington City.
Segler was charged with six felonies, including possession of a stolen firearm; possession of a firearm by a prohibited person; three felony counts of possession of marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine with intent to sell; and one count of possession of identifying information for illegal purposes. He also faces a misdemeanor paraphernalia charge.
Seegmiller was charged with two misdemeanors, including possession of drug paraphernalia and trespassing.
Also arrested were two suspects out of Southern California: 29-year-old Timothy Amerson, a resident of San Bernardino, and 34-year-old Angel Bennett, from Redlands.
Amerson was charged with multiple felonies, including possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of methamphetamine and heroin, as well as misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
Bennett was charged with three felonies, including possession of methamphetamine and heroin, as well as possession of stolen credit card. She also faces a misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia charge.
Due to the felony charges, Oliver said three of the suspects were transported to the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas. Seegmiller was booked into Mesquite Detention Center.
Oliver said the second incident over the weekend took place shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Saturday when a Mesquite Police detective noticed a driver who pulled out of a station near Interstate 15 and committed a number of moving violations as the vehicle continued onto I-15 heading south.
The detective stopped the car and noticed the passenger, later identified as 34-year-old Amber Traub, of Playa Del Rey California, appeared to be concealing something as he made his approach, the report from Mesquite Police states, adding that while speaking to the driver, 33-year-old Joseph Wallo, III, of Olyphant Pennsylvania, the detective noticed other signs indicating possible criminal activity.
At this point, a K-9 team was dispatched to the scene, and the dog indicated to the possible presence of narcotics.
During a search of the vehicle, detectives recovered 11 grams of suspected heroin, 16 grams of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Detectives also recovered several battery-powered saws, as well as multiple tools commonly used in burglaries, along with four catalytic converters that appeared to be recently cut as if they were quickly removed from the vehicles, the report states.
At that point both suspects were arrested and transported to the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, each facing multiple felonies offenses, including one count each of possession of methamphetamine and heroin, along with possession of a false identification card.
The suspects also face four gross misdemeanor counts of possession of burglary tools, as well as misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia. Wallo also faces one misdemeanor charge for driving on a suspended license.
With the number of catalytic converter thefts spiraling across the country, including a 600% increase in Utah, Chesley said the most effective means of addressing the problem is through proactive policing, a very important tool and one in which everyone involved plays an important role. Their efforts are invaluable in maintaining safety for the community by “making it hard to be a criminal in Mesquite,” he said, adding that the recent arrests send a message that Mesquite is not an easy target for those who are involved in nefarious activities.
“Criminal behavior won’t be tolerated here,” he said.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. 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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