CEDAR CITY – A 37-year-old Cedar City man accused of breaking into an apartment, removing his clothes and defecating inside the residence has been convicted of burglary and destruction of property.

On March 22, after two days of testimony and arguments, an eight-member jury found Joshua Jacob Clark guilty on both of the counts he was charged with, namely burglary of a dwelling, a second-degree felony, and property damage or destruction, a class B misdemeanor.

According to the charging documents filed in connection with the case, the incident in question took place on the evening of July 19, 2023, when Cedar City Police responded to a report of a possible home invasion.

“It was discovered that the suspect broke into a home by ripping a frame out of a window where the swamp cooler was placed, causing damage to the window and window frame,” the arresting officer wrote in the affidavit, adding, “He then entered the home and proceeded to strip naked and defecate in the house. He left his soiled underwear in the home and was forcibly removed by one of the residents after ignoring all commands to leave the house.”

During last week’s trial, which was presided over by 5th District Judge Matthew L. Bell, jurors heard testimony from several people, including residents of the apartment, responding police officers, a church pastor and medical professionals. Opposing arguments were heard from prosecutor David Hill and defense attorney Shain Manuele.

After the verdict was read, Judge Bell ordered that Clark remain incarcerated in Iron County Jail until his sentencing, which was scheduled for May 6.

Contacted for comment afterward, Iron County Attorney Chad Dotson said, “A person’s home is their castle and sanctuary. The type of disturbing behavior and conduct of Joshua Clark cannot be tolerated.”

Dotson also mentioned Clark’s prior criminal history.

“Joshua Clark is a repeat offender that has a history of criminal behavior,” Dotson told Cedar City News, adding, “I am grateful that the jury weighed the evidence and convicted him. I am proud of the hard work of the prosecution team and law enforcement, for their efforts to keep our community safe.”

And in a social media post made later on Friday on the Iron County Attorney’s Office Facebook page, Dotson stated:

Jury trials are a lot of hard work. The majority of the work takes place long before the trial even begins. I am proud of the prosecution team and for their efforts to convict a repeat offender who created a very frightening and disturbing situation for the victims.

The post also thanked the jurors for their service and added, “As always, we appreciate the good work from our partners at the Cedar City Police Department for working to keep our community safe.”

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

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