Mug shot: Justin Buchanan

BOUNTIFUL, Utah — An Idaho man is behind bars after he allegedly stole some expensive guitars from music shops in Bountiful and Orem.

According to a news release from the Bountiful Police Department, detectives located 34-year-old Justin Buchanan, of Meridian, Idaho, in the Rose Park neighborhood of Salt Lake City.

Buchanan is accused of taking a $1,300 guitar from Murphy’s Guitars in Bountiful and a $12,000 guitar from Best In Music in Orem.

Michael Murphy, who owns Murphy’s Guitars on Main St. in Bountiful, sent Fox 13 photos of the suspect who was caught on camera taking a guitar from the store.

Murphy said the suspect looked around the store for a while and told an employee he was going to purchase a guitar.

As the employee went to the back to get a case for the instrument, the suspect grabbed the guitar and left.

Murphy said the stolen guitar is a new Fender American Standard Stratocaster in white with a white pickguard and maple neck.

Marcus Hight, General Manager at Best In Music, said a rare guitar worth $12,000 was taken from the store Wednesday afternoon.

Hight said the guitar is a Limited Martin John Lennon guitar of which only 75 were made.

Buchanan was captured after an employee at Performance Audio in Salt Lake City recognized his face from news reports.

Det. Joubert and Marcus Hight pose for a photo with the Limited Martin John Lennon guitar.

Hight expressed his gratitude to Bountiful police in a Facebook post about the incident.

“Our baby is back!! A huge thanks to Detective Joubert of the Bountiful Police Department. A true guitar enthusiast who wouldn’t let this guitar stay in a basement evidence room with no case, so he drove down and met me in Salt Lake to make sure this guitar got home safe!  Thanks again for everyone who helped get the thief behind bars and the guitar back to us,” Hight wrote.

Buchanan was booked into the Davis County Jail and he faces felony theft charges.

Surveillance photos:

PRICE, Utah – Two people are facing charges after they allegedly burglarized several camp trailers in order to purchase drugs.

Chase Mitchell Kyriss and Sesceli Dawn Tucker, AKA Wilson, were booked into jail, and a third adult male has been referred to the county attorney for possible charges.

Police were investigating reports of burglaries at camp trailers, primarily vehicles parked in alleyways in the northeast area of Price. That investigation led them to a local recycling business, where more than a dozen stolen batteries were located.

Police developed leads on the suspects after visiting the business, and the three individuals were interviewed. One male suspect allegedly told authorities they were stealing the items to sell for cash to buy heroin.

Kyriss, 24 of Price, was booked into jail on charges of possession of stolen property, vehicle burglary and conspiracy. He has a prior conviction for aggravated burglary and is currently on probation.

Tucker, 21 of Huntington, was booked on the same charges as Kyriss, and she also faces a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. She has three previous arrests for charges including assault, child kidnapping and drug offenses.

The third individual, a 22-year-old man from Helper, did not have prior criminal charges and was not booked into jail but could still face charges in the case.

Aside from batteries, the suspects also stole a chainsaw and a radiator. Police believe there may be victims out there who may not realize their camp trailers have been burglarized, and anyone who believes they were a victim should call police at 435-636-3190.

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah -- Authorities are searching for a suspect after a purse was stolen from a vehicle that was parked at an LDS Church while the victim attended a funeral Saturday.

According to Cottonwood Heights City, the theft occurred at 2301 East Bengal Boulevard Saturday as the victim attended a funeral.

The purse contained several credit cards, which were later used around the valley and in the Foothill Boulevard area. Police provided a photo of a suspect sought in connection with the case.

Anyone with information about the theft or who recognizes the suspect is asked to call Detective Bailey at 801-944-7044 and reference case 16X002483.

SALT LAKE CITY -- A slew of car break-ins across the Salt Lake Valley in the past couple weeks could be targeting cars parked in parking lots outside funeral locations.

The cases range from Salt Lake City, to Cottonwood Heights, to West Jordan.

“My stomach sank and just, I knew I'd been had,” Lorrie Belcher said.

She said while attending her late cousin’s funeral in West Jordan a couple of weeks ago, she left to find her window smashed out, and her purse—which she’d carefully hidden—gone.

Abigail Parkes got the same unpleasant surprise when she left her late uncle’s viewing in Salt Lake City nearly two weeks ago.

“I was already super emotional,” she said. “When I came out it was just like, ‘Are you serious?! This happened right here, right now?!’”

Cottonwood Heights Police said some burglars target that group of people, who are vulnerable and in a tough spot in their lives.

“It definitely takes a different type of criminal to really target somebody at their lowest point,” Sergeant Ryan Shostead said.

He said these criminals might look up postings for funerals online or in the paper, so they know when and where to hit.

Because the people mourning inside likely won’t come out for at least an hour or more, their cars become easy targets while sitting unattended in the parking lot, he said.

In Belcher’s case, the criminals had a plan.

“The people were apparently passing out fliers, and putting [them] under the windshield wipers,” she said.

The fliers, she said, were fake, a decoy to get close to the cars and peer inside without looking too suspicious.

Belcher said they smashed her window and the window on another car. Her purse disappeared, along with everything in it.

In Parkes’ case, the thieves immediately went on a shopping spree with her wallet.

“They had already been swiping the card around the Cottonwood Heights area,” she said.

Cottonwood Heights Police are investigating a similar case. A woman attending a funeral last week came out to find her purse stolen. The cards got charged at stores around town, police said.

In this case, they tracked down surveillance photos and hope to catch the woman.

Parkes said police had closed her case, but after the recent incident in Cottonwood Heights, she said detectives are now looking up surveillance from the stores the burglars hit up with her card.

Belcher said West Jordan Police are actively following her case as well, and told her they’re investigating incidents with those same phony fliers at other funerals and in shopping center parking lots.

Sgt. Shostead said they often patrol around the parking lots of funerals to keep thieves away.

For Belcher and Parkes, they just hope to spread awareness, so mourners will think twice and take their valuables inside with them or leave them secured at home.

SALT LAKE CITY -- A pair of suspects have been caught on camera breaking into the Chegoya Market at the corner of 200 South and 900 East three times in less than two weeks.

"They beat an employee and took cigarettes. Three days later they broke in, committed a burglary, this time they took and beer and candy," said Detective Dennis McGowan with the Salt Lake City Police Department.

The first break-in and the assault on the employee was on April 25. The suspects got away with cigarettes.

Three days later, police say they came back, breaking in through a back door and taking candy, beer and cigarettes.

On May 5, it appears the pair returned again to steal more items from the store.

"We're trying to get the community on board to identify, help us locate these two people and get them off the street before they beat, rob or commit another burglary like this," Detective McGowan said.

Suspect number one is described as Hispanic or Pacific Islander male in his teens or early twenties with a thin build and short black hair.

Suspect number two is described as Hispanic or Pacific Islander male in his teens or early twenties with a heavy build and afro-style black hair.

"Just consider these people as dangerous...and call, if they are there, if they're present, it's certainly a 911 call," Detective McGowan said.

The Police Department asks anyone who may know the location of these persons of interest to call (801) 799-3630. Anonymous tips may be sent by text to 274637. Please start your text with TIPSLCPD, which routes it to the police department. Then include any relevant information. Reference: cases #16-73220, 16-73186, 16-77055.

HURRICANE, Utah — Police responding to a report of a theft in progress arrested a suspect after a he abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot, and police say the man burglarized 13 vehicles.

According to a press release from the Hurricane City Police Department, officers were called about a theft Wednesday around 12:35 p.m. after an employee at a business saw someone removing items from a car and confronted the suspect.

The car was in an area marked “no trespassing”, and the male suspect fled in a vehicle, ultimately reaching a dead-end street. The man left the vehicle and fled on foot but was captured after refusing to comply with police and after attempting to hide.

Police learned the man had allegedly taken items from 13 vehicles, and officers found drug-related items and a large knife inside the man’s car.

Andrew Weston Bailey of Hurricane was arrested and booked into jail. He faces a variety of charges, including 13 counts of vehicle burglary, 13 counts of theft, and possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.

WEST JORDAN, Utah -- West Jordan Police are asking the public for help in figuring out who is responsible for stealing hundreds of fundraising dollars that were meant to help children.

Surveillance video shows a man walking out of the Smith's on Redwood Road and 7160 South with two giant water jugs filled with donated cash.

Sgt. Robertson said this happened on May 22 at 2:30 am when no one was around, which is how the man slipped out unnoticed.

"Around $500 is the initial estimation that we were given," said West Jordan Police Sgt. Jeremy Robertson.

That was $500 not meant for him. Instead, Smith's was raising the money for Primary Children's Hospital.

Sgt. Robertson said the jugs were even chained up to prevent them from disappearing.

"Jugs were secured with some chains, to secure them down, and those were broken or cut in some way, and then he carried them out of the store," he said.

Now, that money is gone, and the man is still out there.

Smith's does have surveillance of the car the man drove, and it turns out that car may have also been stolen.

"There has been some information that a car similar to that has been stolen," Sgt. Robertson said.

While they haven't confirmed if it is indeed the stolen car or been able to identify the man, they hope to pin down who he is and why he stole the fundraising money.

Robertson said leads have trickled in. Anyone who recognizes the man or who has knowledge of the theft is asked to call West Jordan PD at 801-256-2000.

The man could face misdemeanor theft charges.

MURRAY, Utah — Police in Murray are asking for the public’s help identifying and locating suspects who allegedly used stolen bank cards to withdraw large sums of cash from various banks.

According to the Murray Police Department, the suspects pictured above used bank cards and IDs stolen during a vehicle burglary to make cash withdrawals at various banks.

Police say both persons in the vehicle pictured above are persons of interest in the case. Anyone who recognizes the pair or the vehicle is asked to call police dispatch at 801-840-4000.

HEBER CITY, Utah -- Twin brothers suspected in a nationwide cell phone scheme were arrested in Heber City Friday with 27 fraudulently obtained iPhones worth nearly $23,000.

According to the Heber City Police Department, AT&T personnel contacted officers about the suspects, saying they had pinged the cell phones and located them at a hotel.

Police responded and arrested twin brothers Carlos J. Angelista and Braina Angelista, age 22. The men were booked on a charge of receiving stolen property.

AT&T alleges the two men were able visit 27 stores in six Utah cities, where they purchased an iPhone 6s Plus at each location using their own name but somehow billing another customer's account for the purchase. The 27 phones are valued at $22,832.00.

The pair have been under investigation by AT&T for more than a year, Heber Police stated, and they are suspected of stealing about $150,000 worth of merchandise in that time.

FOX 13 News' Brian Champagne spoke with one of the victims of the scam, who said he was alerted when his phone suddenly stopped working. See the video above for that interview.

NEW ZEALAND — After the price of avocados reached a record high in New Zealand earlier this year, thieves are trying to capitalize on the ongoing shortage.

Growing international demand and 2015’s poor crop are believed to be behind the rash of avocado heists. There have already been roughly 40 “large-scale thefts” in 2016, mostly from orchards located on New Zealand’s North Island, according to The Guardian.

The bandits usually strike at night, raking as much fruit out of the trees as they can carry, then selling it at a markup to local vendors and restaurants.

“These stolen avocados can carry risks,” Sergeant Aaron Fraser told the paper. “The are unripe, some have been sprayed recently and they may still carry toxins on the skin. But with the prices so high at the moment, the potential for profit is a strong inducement for certain individuals.”

The key ingredient for guacamole is currently going for between $3 and $4 a piece now, but that price was as high as $7 earlier this year.

Some farms have taken security measures to protect their crops, like installing automatic lights and alarm systems.

But there is optimism in the industry — barring a weather disaster, the avocado crime wave will likely end with the pending harvest, which is expected to be a bountiful one, according to New Zealand Avocado CEO Jen Scoular.

CACHE COUNTY, Utah – A group of young football players and their parents are upset after they paid about $45,000 in registration fees only to learn their season may be in jeopardy.

The Skyview Youth Football League includes about 250 kids from northern Cache County.

The league uses an online service called Jevin to process registration fees, however the league says Jevin is not making those funds available. The money is meant to pay for equipment, uniforms and more.

“We checked the accounts, no money,” said Jeff Young, a parent of a player in the league. “We followed up, no answers.”

League Director Brianne Young said they are frustrated with the experience.

"I want Jevin to do the right thing,” Brianne Young said. “I want our kids to get our money, and I want our kids to get a normal football season and not have to worry about this."

League officials are meeting with Smithfield Police on Monday, and the league says they are not the only group in Utah struggling to get satisfaction from Jevin.

"We received an email halfway through our registration from another group saying that they had, that there were other people having similar problems,” Brianne Young said.

Jevin has not responded to FOX 13 News’ requests for comment on the issue.

Members of the league have created a GoFundMe page to try and raise funds to help the children play this year. 

AMERICAN FORK - An American Fork lock company is going door to door, warning other businesses about a recent spree of burglaries.

"There's been at least seven in the past couple weeks," said Clayton Muhlestein with Alpine Lock & Safe. "They just use a pair of pliers, and it only takes about 10 to 15 seconds to get in."

Using pliers, Muhlestein demonstrates how easy it is to do. He finds the lock cylinder, which he says is usually placed on the front doors of local businesses. Placing the pliers around the lock, he twists back and forth for just a moment before the cylinder moves and falls off completely.

"It's not like they are trying to go through the back," said Lieutenant Sam Liddiard with American Fork Police. "They are doing this out in the open. That's why we need the public's help."

Lt. Liddiard isn't ready to connect all the break-ins to the same suspects, but Alpine Lock & Safe is leaning that way.

"We'd say it's the exact same guys because the method is the same," Muhlestein said.

American Fork police says they've recovered surveillance camera footage from inside an AT&T store that was hit early Wednesday morning, but it may take a few days before they can see what the footage shows.

Anyone with information about the burglaries is asked to contact American Fork PD. Their non-emergency number is 801-763-3020.

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – Police are looking for two people who stole a pair of bikes from a woman with cancer who uses the bikes to commute to and from work.

Surveillance cameras captured images of the two suspects at the Fairbourne Apartments on 3590 South and 2900 West. The theft occurred earlier in June.

The pair somehow made their way into a secure area where bikes are stored, and they cut the locks from the bikes and took off with them.

Roxeanne Vainuku, a spokeswoman with the West Valley City Police Department, said the victim’s medical condition makes the theft seem more egregious.

“So this case has a little bit of an extra sting to it because the victim has a pancreatic tumor,” Vainuku said. “So she’s struggling with these significant health issues, and these bikes really meant a lot to her. One of them is her commuter bike that she used to get back and forth to work.”

One of the stolen bikes is a specialized Rhyme FSR Comp that is gray, green and black. The second bike is an older-model Giant 350c that is yellow, white and silver. Photos of the bikes and suspects are included in the gallery above.

Anyone who sees the stolen bikes or who recognizes the suspects is asked to contact West Valley City PD. The department’s non-emergency number is 801-840-4000.

DAVIS COUNTY, Utah -- A stolen wooden bear from New Mexico, thousands of dollars worth of illegal merchandise, and one Utah man's street smarts led detectives to a major theft case in Davis County.

This story starts with a couple in Albuquerque, but it ends here in Utah. The Newmans talked about how one man took something special from them in broad daylight while they were home.

“I was absolutely shocked, I just couldn't believe it happened," Joan Newman said. "I was shaking. It was terrifying to think someone could come and do that."

The bear was stolen right off their front porch. Surveillance cameras captured the moment a man walked through the Albuquerque couple's gate and took their massive, one-of-a-kind chainsaw-carved bear.

“We went back and looked at security camera... and saw this man just coming in, lifting it up, and carrying it off,” Joan Newman said.

That happened in February. The Newmans filed a report with Albuquerque police but lost hope the 300-pound bear carving would ever return.

“It was our property, and we work hard for everything we have, and it just hurts me someone feels they can come along and take what they want,” Joan Newman said.

Months later and hundreds of miles away, this story takes a unique turn thanks to one savvy Utahn.

“We got a call from a citizen who was concerned that he was going to be purchasing a stolen bike,” said Sgt. DeeAnn Servey of the Davis County Sheriff's Office.

The man told police Michael Perry was selling items out of a storage shed in south Weber and was giving him a deal on a bike that was too good to be true, so the man took a picture of the serial number.

“What happened when we ran the serial number for this bike, it came back stolen from New Mexico,” Servey said.

Police responded to that storage unit, and that’s where they found and arrested their suspect.

“There were lots of stolen items inside the shed as well as inside the vehicle,” Servey said.

Deputies said Perry was selling items online, from bikes and tools, to electronics, and, yes, you guessed it: even a wooden bear.

“When I found out they found the bear, I just could not believe it," Jeffery Newman said. "I was in shock."

The couple was even more surprised to find the bear was 700 miles away. They made the trek to Utah, and now the bear is back on their porch where it belongs.

“It's an amazing story; it’s amazing how things show up in faraway places,” Jeffrey Newman said.

Police are working to return what’s left of the thousands of dollars of stolen equipment. Perry is facing several second degree felonies.

DAVIS COUNTY, Utah -- A troop of Boy Scouts who have special needs had $3,500 worth of camping equipment stolen last month, but this week about one-third of that equipment was returned.

"I was very surprised because I didn't think we'd ever see any of it back again," said Troop 62 Scout Master Doug Bunot.

Troop 62's trailer was stolen out of a West Point church parking lot around June 12. It was found, empty, a few days later. A trailer from Clinton Boy Scout Troop 51 was also stolen. That trailer is still missing.

"It hurt us a lot because we got to have the stuff that we need, and when we don't have it, we don't know where we're going to get it at," Bunot said.

Troop 62 consists of 50 men and women, ages 18 and up, who have special needs.They look forward to their annual August camping trip, and were heartbroken when their gear, consisting of tents, coolers, chairs and ovens, was stolen.

"It's probably one of the only times they can get out during the year and do something like this, and they love it, it's just great for them," Bunot said.

Then Ryan Dunham of North Ogden showed up earlier this week with about a third of the equipment. He said he had purchased it from a friend of a friend, and didn't find out until later, watching the news, that it belonged to Troop 62.

"My heart just broke when I found out somebody would steal from Boy Scouts, let alone, special needs," Dunham said. "And I wanted to take every step to make this right because I felt horrible that I had the stuff that was stolen from them."

Dunham immediately returned the stolen items. He said he grew up in Boy Scouts and knows how important these camping trips are.

"It gave me a warm fuzzy feeling to return this stuff to them, just the look in their face, and how they cheered up, let me know I was doing something right," Dunham said.

Dunham even set up a GoFundMe Page, asking the community to help pay for the rest of the stolen equipment, which has yet to be found.

"To me just shows the honesty and goodness in people, it makes me feel good that somebody would do that," Bunot said.

As for the thief responsible for stealing all this camping equipment to begin with, Dunham is helping the Davis County Sheriff's Office track them down. Davis County said they have identified a person of interest and expect to make an arrest soon.

TOOELE, Utah -- A couple in Tooele says their mobility has been taken from them after thieves stole a car that had their 5-year-old son's wheelchair and car seat inside.

Sgt. Benson of the Tooele Police Department confirms a green Honda Civic was stolen from an apartment complex in Tooele Saturday morning. Austin Johnson said that vehicle contained some important items.

“My son’s wheelchair [was in the car], he has cerebral palsy,” he said.

Johnson said when he went outside and didn't see his girlfriend's car, he thought someone might be playing a joke on him. But, it turns out the car was stolen. After posting about the theft on social media, a man who found an abandoned wheelchair contacted him about returning it.

But Johnson said the wheelchair is useless at this point, and the car seat is also still missing.

“Unfortunately it don’t have the back part or the seat to it, so it’s completely useless to use to where it stands right now," Johnson said of the wheelchair.

Five-year-old Keaton has cerebral palsy, and Johnson said he and his family rely on the wheelchair to stay mobile. Johnson said it appears the thieves dumped the wheelchair, but didn't dump two critical components along with it.

“It’s as important as your legs, they are his legs for him,” Johnson said. "I’m a working father, my girlfriend is a stay at home mom. She’s eight months pregnant, he’s 5-years old, can’t walk, so anytime she needs to go to the grocery store, needs to do anything, this is his way around. This is the only way he can get around, she can’t carry him around with how far along pregnant she is.”

Johnson said the wheelchairs like the one his son uses can cost up to $6,000. He said it may be possible to mend the incomplete wheelchair they got back, but he said that is a complicated prospect. The wheelchair was custom-made to fit his son's measurements and needs, so replacement parts aren't readily available.

“If we don’t recover the parts, he’s out of a wheelchair until the insurance is able to provide a wheelchair, and that could be an unknown amount of time," Johnson said.

The family said they don't have the kind of money needed to replace the wheelchair out-of-pocket, especially with another baby on the way. Johnson said if he could speak to the thieves, he would tell them to keep the car, but please return the missing parts of the chair.

“I just want my wheelchair and car seat, take the car, I don’t care," he said. "That’s it. My son’s my life, and you’ve taken a part of him, that’s for sure, and you’ve taken a part of me, just with the small things that you’ve taken.”

Johnson said some members of the community have offered to lend or donate wheelchairs for his son to use, but he said the custom nature of the missing wheelchair means those offers may or not be of use in his son's case.

The missing vehicle is a 1999 Honda Civic DX. The car has a black hood but is otherwise dark green in color. Johnson said it had several stickers on it, including one for "Dutch Bros." (an Oregon coffee company) and another about cerebral palsy awareness.

Anyone who sees the missing vehicle is encouraged to contact police.

Loved ones have set up a GoFundMe page to assist the family, click here for details. 

SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah veteran who offered a helping hand to a man who claimed to be a fellow Marine was the victim of a burglary, and his military uniforms and decorations were among the stolen items.

Kurt Harris said he got to know a man over a period of several months at a Salt Lake City gym. The man told Harris he was a Marine, so when the man needed a place to stay Harris, a Marine himself, offered his home.

Harris went away on business, and when he returned Friday he learned the man he'd invited into his home had allegedly stole his car, two laptops and other items.

"The last decade of my Marine service is gone,” Harris said. “My uniforms, my dress blues, photos of friends that are not with us anymore, it's all gone."

Harris said the other items can be replaced or are covered by insurance, but he said it’s devastating to lose the personal items purchased with something other than money.

“That’s the real knife in your heart, the salt on the wound,” he said. “We’re not even the same size guy: what would he want with my military uniforms, and my decorations that tell my story as a Marine? Every material item that I had that was testament that I served a decade in the Marine Corps.

Harris said he can only think of two uses for his stolen uniforms and medals, and he said both are disturbing.

“Maybe to pawn it for a few bucks, that’s a stab in the heart, or he’s gonna use it to perpetuate this lie that he’s told to other people and himself that he’s a Marine, that he wore the uniform, that he earned it like the rest of us,” he said.

FOX 13 News has received the name of a potential suspect in the case. While Salt Lake City Police were able to confirm Sunday that Harris was the victim of a burglary and a few other details, they could not verify that name without going through personnel who were out of the office for the holiday weekend.

In the meantime, Harris asks folks look out for his 2008 Dodge Charger. The vehicle is black and has Marine Corps plates reading 03YUT.

Harris said it’s painful to know that his loss came from a willingness to serve another.

“That’s the worst part is you lend out a helping hand trying to be a good person, and things like this happen, and you try to look at it in a good light,” he said. “I try not to hate to the guy… it’s a moral battle inside."

A man who allegedly stole purses belonging to two young girls at a Wal-Mart in Layton. Image courtesy Layton City PD.

LAYTON, Utah — Police are looking for a man who allegedly stole two purses belonging to young girls while at a Wal-Mart in Layton Tuesday.

According to the Layton City Police Department, the man pictured above stole the purses from a shopping cart while at the Wal-Mart in Layton, 745 West Hill Field Road.

The first purse belonged to a 6-year-old girl and contained $8.45. The second purse belonged to a 7-year-old girl and contained $3.00

Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the man, saying they would like to help the young girls’ recover their stolen money. Anyone who recognizes the man or who has knowledge of his whereabouts should call Layton PD at 801-497-8300 and reference case number 16-11523.

LAYTON, Utah — Several days after police asked the public for help locating a suspect who allegedly stole purses from two young girls, the man was booked into jail.

According to the Layton City Police Department, the suspect was arrested Saturday night and booked into the Davis County Jail. Authorities expressed gratitude for the tips they received in the case.

Shane Allen Bodily, 46, was booked on charges including theft, possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The man had allegedly stolen two purses from a shopping cart in the Wal-Mart in Layton. One victim was a 6-year-old girl and the other a 7-year-old girl. There was approximately $12.00 between the two purses. Police stated on Facebook they were not able to recover the stolen property.

A man who allegedly stole purses belonging to two young girls at a Wal-Mart in Layton. Image courtesy Layton City PD.

SOUTH SALT LAKE — Police in South Salt Lake recently conducted a “Package Sting Operation” in response to complaints about stolen parcels, and the effort resulted in two arrests for theft and drug-related offenses.

According to the South Salt Lake Police Department, an officer spotted Darren J. Scott Thursday as the sting operation was being set up.

The officer recognized Scott from surveillance footage of a recent package theft based on some distinctive clothing and his bicycle. Scott has denied any involvement in the theft, but he was arrested and booked into jail on unrelated felony warrants as well as charges relating to package theft, providing false information. and possession of a controlled substance.

Police located a measurable amount of what appeared to be heroin in Scott’s backpack.

A second suspect was arrested after he was spotted allegedly taking a package from a porch near 100 West and 3800 South. Police said the man, identified as Cedric Price, was found to have three stolen packages in his possession when he was arrested. Price was booked on three counts of mail theft and two counts of use or possession of drugs.

Police found two “loaded syringes” in Price’s pocket.