By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today
A Cedar City man faces multiple charges after a trespassing call on Saturday escalated into a confrontation with police officers.
Police arrested 32-year-old Arturo Jose Borges last week after responding to reports of a trespass in progress at approximately 5:02 p.m.
When officers arrived on scene, they found Borges inside a trailer home, where he claimed that a man named “Christian” had threatened to kill him if he didn’t stay there. Borges told police he had been given a key in a glove but later lost it.
Signs of forced entry were allegedly apparent on the trailer’s front door, with the doorframe heavily damaged, indicating a possible break-in.
Inside the trailer, officers conducted a walkthrough with the property manager, noting over $3,500 in damage, including broken items and disturbances to walls, furniture, and fixtures, the affidavit states.
After investigating the scene, officers arrested Borges on several charges including burglary of a dwelling, criminal trespass, and criminal mischief.
After being placed in the patrol vehicle, Borges told officers he was suicidal, prompting them to take him to Cedar City Hospital for a medical evaluation.
Later cleared for transport, Borges was taken back into custody, but during the drive to the jail, he began forcefully banging his head against the vehicle’s plexiglass divider. This behavior led officers to return him to the hospital for a second evaluation.
“I immediately stopped and pulled Arturo out of my cage, at which time he flopped on the ground attempting to hit his head again. I picked Arturo up and again he forcefully propelled his head into my patrol vehicle,” court documents state.
To prevent further self-harm, officers deployed the WRAP, a restraint device designed to limit a person’s movement by immobilizing their arms and legs. This tool, commonly used in law enforcement, prevents individuals from causing harm to themselves or others during transport.
During the process of securing Borges, he reportedly grabbed an officer’s arm and resisted commands to release his grip. He also attempted to spit on the officers, leading them to place a spit hood over his head to prevent further incidents.
Due to his continued erratic behavior, Borges was transported back to the hospital for a second medical clearance.
“Multiple times throughout both medical clearances I asked for Arturo to cooperate and be quite (sp) and he wouldn’t,” the affidavit states.
After receiving clearance a second time, Borges was finally transported to the Iron County Correctional Facility.
He faces a range of charges, including burglary of a dwelling, criminal trespass of a dwelling, criminal mischief causing damage between $1,500 and $4,999, disorderly conduct, interfering with an officer, assault by a prisoner, and propelling a bodily substance.
In court documents, the arresting officer expressed serious concerns about Borges’s behavior and potential threat to public safety.
Authorities have requested Borges be held without bail, citing the severity of the offenses and the potential risk he may pose if released.