By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today
A late-night altercation between two cousins recently led to felony assault charges for a Cedar City man.
Emilio Kanosh, 28, was arrested by Cedar City police after authorities responded to reports of a domestic disturbance involving a physical fight. Kanosh now faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault, intoxication, knowingly providing alcohol to a minor, and failure to disclose his identity to officers.
Police were dispatched to the incident at approximately 12:39 a.m. Feb. 28 after witnesses reported seeing and hearing two men fighting. Officers arrived to find a 20-year-old victim with visible injuries, including swelling, discoloration, and blood on his face.
The victim initially told police that his injuries were caused by a dog attack but soon admitted the truth.
According to court documents, he explained that an argument between the two men had escalated, with Kanosh allegedly pushing him, grabbing his mouth and lower face, punching him multiple times, and attempting to choke him by constricting his airway.
“The victim told me he was struck two or three times in the face by Emilio’s closed fist,” the affidavit stated.
Kanosh initially refused to cooperate with police, entering another apartment and locking the door behind him. When he eventually emerged, Kanosh told officers he had nothing to say and provided minimal identifying information.
In addition to aggravated assault, Kanosh was also charged with knowingly providing alcohol to a minor, as the victim, his cousin, was under the legal drinking age and had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.
Kanosh is scheduled to appear remotely before 5th District Court Judge Matthew Bell for a waiver hearing on April 2.