| Stolen truck runs into Randy’s Service. |
The message to criminals is clear if you commit a crime in Emery County, you’re going to get caught or so it would seem. A Joseph Coleman Hodge commited a burglary in Green River in 1994 at the Central Supply. Sheriff LaMar Guymon and Capt. Kyle Ekker traveled to Fallon, Nev. where the subject had been stopped on an attempt to locate. He was interviewed where he confessed to the burglary and was brought back to Emery County where he went to court and was sent to the Utah State Prison. Upon release from prison he began his life of burglary again and was currently wanted in three states when he passed through the county again on a burglary spree.
On Sept. 22 at approximately midnight, Hodge broke into the Two Brothers Communication business in Price. Upon leaving that building he traveled south on SR-10 into Castle Dale where he kicked in the back door at 410 East Main, Dr. Huntington’s dentist office. He took stamps, coins and Advil from that office. He continued on SR-10 where he stopped in Emery at Randy’s Service. He backed his stolen truck into the garage door and bent it in to gain access to the building. A citizen, Pam Adams of Emery heard strange noises coming from Randy’s so she called into the Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Mike Jorgensen responded and a short time later he pulled up at Randy’s where he noticed the white pick-up pulled up in front of the large bay door. He observed the subject in the business and called for back-up. Deputy John Spinney arrived and Sgt. Jeff Thomas and Sgt. Gayle Jensen. Det. John Barnett and Det. Sgt. Robert Blackburn arrived to process the scene.
The subject upon seeing the deputies stacked cement bags against the wall and accessed the roof. He was ordered off the roof at gunpoint and the subject complied and came off the roof where he was taken into custody. The subject gave an alias name.
He was positively identified when his fingerprints were entered into the system. He was booked on two counts of burglary and criminal mischief. The subject has an extensive criminal history and three outstanding warrants in other states. He has been on the run for many years. At his court appearance he pled guilty and was sentenced to one-15 on one count, and three counts of zero-five. The defendant is originally from Jacksonville, Fla. He has been transported to the Utah State Prison.