Deputies find fugitive in attempted murder hiding in clothes dryer
By James Tilson
Associate Editor
CHESTER—A Chester man being sought on attempted murder charges was found last week hiding in a clothes dryer in his family’s mobile home in the Chester trailer court.
Two days after he was apprehended, Oscar Manuel Garcia, 22, made an initial appearance in 6th District Court. He has been charged with attempted murder, a first-degree felony; aggravated assault, a second-degree felony; and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
According to the affidavit for the arrest warrant on the attempted-murder case, Garcia stabbed and/or cut two of his family members with a knife during an argument at the family residence in the trailer court. Those attacks allegedly took place on July 27. The arrest warrant was issued on Aug. 1.
Garcia remained a fugitive from the warrant until Aug. 19, when Sanpete County Sheriff’s Deputies, acting on a tip, went to the Garcia trailer in Chester. Garcia’s sister and Garcia’s girlfriend, Tabitha Wiltz, came out and told the deputies Garcia was in the trailer.
Deputies yelled into the trailer for Garcia for 10 minutes to come out, with no response. Deputies went into the trailer, where they found Garcia in the dryer with clothes draped over him, apparently trying to hide.
Wiltz has been charged with obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony, for allegedly helping hide Garcia and lying to authorities about his whereabouts.
Deputies had been looking for Garcia for three weeks. During that time Wiltz told them Garcia was in Mt. Pleasant, not Chester. Wiltz later admitted she had lied to hide Garcia.
Garcia was arrested on a no-bond warrant. Bail for Wiltz was set at $10,000. Garcia and Wiltz will appear in court again on Thursday for a hearing on waiver of preliminary hearing.
Garcia has a second case pending from November 2018. In that case, he is charged with aggravated assault, a second-degree felony. Garcia is scheduled to appear in court in that case on Sept. 30.
