St. George Police respond to McDonald’s following report of violent outburst

File photo of St. George Police vehicle, St. George, Utah, May 21, 2021 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A man was arrested Sunday morning following a report of an alleged verbal altercation that escalated and caused some $2,000 in damage.

File photo for illustrative purposes only of the corner of Dixie Drive and Sunset where Walgreens and McDonald’s are located in St. George, Utah, Oct. 20, 2021 | Photo by David Dudley, St. George News

On Sunday, officers were dispatched to McDonald’s on West Sunset shortly after 11:45 a.m. on a disorderly call involving a customer who reportedly became violent inside of the restaurant. Officers were notified the suspect was last seen running toward Walgreens on the corner of Dixie Drive. 

According to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest, officers arrived to learn that earlier that morning a man was panhandling outside of the restaurant. 

A store employee reportedly told officers they asked the suspect to refrain from bothering customers as they entered and exited the business, adding that this was not the first panhandling incident involving the suspect. 

Shortly thereafter, according to the report, the suspect entered the restaurant and confronted one of the employees working the counter, and during the verbal confrontation, the suspect threw a beverage cup that hit the employee on the neck. 

The suspect then pushed a large glass display case off the counter, “narrowly missing” the same employee as he did so, the report states. When the case crashed to the ground, it alarmed several customers who then told the suspect to leave the business. 

Officers also learned the restaurant was full of both employees and customers when the incident was unfolding. The manager also reportedly told officers the display case, as well as other items, were destroyed during the incident with an estimated loss of more than $2,000.

During a search of the area, officers found a man standing behind one of the fast-food restaurants located nearby who matched the description of the suspect they were looking for. 

A photo taken of the suspect was then shown to several witnesses at McDonald’s who confirmed it was the same individual who was involved in the altercation earlier. 

The suspect was later identified by his California ID card as 42-year-old Oscar Alejandro Escobedo. He was arrested and transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility facing one third-degree felony count of criminal mischief and one count of assault, a misdemeanor. 

Ed. Note: A new Utah law generally prohibits the release of arrest booking photos until after a conviction is obtained. 

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.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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