Sunrise Stories: Man Accused of Killing Santaquin Officer Has History of Violence Against Police

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 206 

Statewide News – 05/07/24 

Man Accused of Killing Santaquin Officer Has History of Violence 

Michael Aaron Jayne, 42, the man who was arrested after he reportedly struck and killed a police officer with a semi-truck on May 5, has a criminal history regarding violence against police officers. 

Jayne committed a similar act in 2009 when he attempted to kill two police officers in Oregon by ramming a vehicle into two police cruisers. He was also charged in California for assaulting a correctional officer. It’s not uncommon for Jayne to engage in high-speed car chases with authorities as he also has a history of such acts. 

Jayne has been charged with the murder of Sgt. Bill Hooser on the morning of
May 5, and a police car in Santaquin has been designated as a temporary memorial for the officer. A GoFundMe page for the family of Sgt. Hooser has been established with over $80,000 donated at the time of writing. 

Southern Utah/St. George News – 05/07/24 

Hiker Found Dead at Zion National Park 

A hiker was declared dead at Zion National Park on May 6 after he was found unresponsive at Scout Lookout. 

Medical personnel attempted to revive the man, but after about an hour and a half of efforts, the man was unfortunately declared as dead. 

The identity of the man was not provided in the press materials provided by Zion. The cause of death is being investigated by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Utah Office of the Medical Examiner, and the National Park Service. 

Cedar City Couple Charged Following Pregnant Woman Overdose 

A husband and wife from Cedar City are facing felony charges related to the death of a pregnant woman with the cause of death being an overdose of fentanyl which resulted in cardiac arrest. 

John Parry and Kimberly Dawn Hare were charged on May 6 with manslaughter, drug distribution, and child endangerment.  

The Iron County Drug Task Force were led to the couple following the death of the pregnant woman on April 20. The Southern Utah couple has an extensive criminal history and illegal narcotics were found in their home near toys that belonged to their 3-year-old child. 

Southern Utah Man Receives Sentence for Sexual Crimes Involving Minor 

A man in Cedar City will spend the minimum time in jail after he pleaded guilty to distributing sexual materials and images to a minor. 

Sean Brandon Foard was taken into custody in August 2023 after sending sexual images and messages to a 15-year-old girl who was actually the authorities posing as the minor as a part of a sting operation. 

Foard was sentenced to 270 days in jail with 182 days marked as served in exchange for the guilty plea. Iron County law officials were pushing for a five-year-sentence, but Foard will instead serve 88 days in jail. 

Southern Utah Sweeps Ranking for Business Starting Small Cities 

A new report from Wallet Hub ranked three Southern Utah cities in the Top 5 best small cities for starting a small business. 

Washington City took the No. 4 spot, St. George took the No. 2 spot, and Cedar City took the crown at the No. 1 spot. 

You can find out why they were ranked as the best in the country by checking out our article on the subject. 

Other 

Fun fact about Stockton Myers, the writer of Sunrise Stories. 

Stockton’s working on a big article that’s set to come out sometime on May 8. He believes it’s a rather interesting story that should be read by parents and school faculty. That’s all he’ll say on the matter, but he hopes you all like it when it’s eventually published. 

Happy Tuesday!