Sunrise Stories: Street Race Ends With Gunshots and High Speed Pursuit in St. George

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 238 

Statewide News – 06/27/24 

Utah Primary Election Update 

Utah Governor Spencer Cox and senate candidate John Curtis are the unofficial winners of the June 25 primary election in Utah as more votes continue to pile in. 

Governor Cox will move on to the general election in November against Democrat nominee Rep. Brian King. Utah hasn’t had a Democratic governor since 1985. 

John Curtis will also move onto the general election thanks to his overwhelming victory against three other candidates on June 25. 

Southern Utah/St. George News – 06/27/24 

Street Race Leads to Gunshots in St. George 

Officers from the St. George Police Department have arrested three people in connection to a street race that ended in shots being fired around 1 a.m. on June 26. Fortunately, the gunshots didn’t cause any injuries. 

Police pursued the white Kia Soul into Arizona and eventually arrived in Nevada where members of the Mesquite Police Department deployed spike traps to catch the suspects. 

Those arrested include Johsua Wesley Rippetoe, 19, Dallin Lee Dangelo, 18, and a 17-year-old who was transferred to their parents as the juvenile courts take on that portion of the case.  

St. George Jewelry Store Robber Finally Arrested After Monthslong Investigation 

On December 18, 2023, a man was seen stealing a car and breaking into a jewelry store in St. George. A manhunt ensued, and officers were unable to arrest the suspect. 

Now, after six months of investigation, Aaron Ezquivel, 21, was arrested in connection to the robbery and carjacking. 

Ezquivel was arrested on June 24 by police and is now in custody without bail in Washington County. A cell phone left behind at the jewelry store assisted police in identifying Ezquivel. 

Little Twist Fire 25% Contained as Weather Brings Good Tidings 

The weather is finally on the side of fire fighters in Beaver County as they continue to combat the Little Twist Fire which has now burned over 2,500 acres. 

Fortunately, it seems some solid progress is being made in containing the flames as the Utah Fire Info reports the wildfire is now 25% contained. 

Fire workers are expected to make even more headway today as the weather brings cooler temperatures and more moisture to Beaver County. 

2nd Congressional District Race Still Too Close to Call 

The congressional election between Incumbent Celeste Maloy and Colby Jenkins is still too close to call as more votes are counted. 

Maloy remains in the lead by a narrow margin at 51% while Jenkins is close behind at 49%. The Associated Press reports that 11% more votes are waiting to be counted. 

We’ll continue to provide updates as the race continues into the weekend. More election results can be found in our article on the subject. 

Other 

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

Stockton is excited to enjoy Independence Day with his family. His brother will be moving to New York City within the next month, so he’s going to enjoy as much family time as he can before he moves across the country for grad school. On the bright side, Stockton is moving into his brother's house, so he’s excited about that, but he wishes his brother didn’t have to move away. 

Happy Friday Eve!