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DUCHESNE — A judge has ordered two Duchesne men to serve jail time for vandalizing an LDS meetinghouse.
Tristan Joseph Peterson Hirst was sentenced Monday by Judge Samuel Chiara to serve 60 days in jail, while Denver Timothy Bell was ordered to serve 30 days in jail. Each man must also pay a $900 fine and they are jointly responsible for $10,000 in restitution to repair the damage they did, according to Chiara's order.
Hirst, 19, pleaded guilty in November to burglary, a third-degree felony, and theft, a class A misdemeanor. Bell, also 19, pleaded guilty to burglary, a third-degree felony, and theft, a class B misdemeanor.
Hirst, Bell and a 17-year-old boy caused extensive damage to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse, 181 N. 200 West, on Oct. 15. Charging documents state that doors were kicked in, a filing cabinet was pried open with a hammer and screwdriver, and several areas of the church were tagged with red spray paint and permanent marker.
Church medallions and pins, along with about $500 of tithing money, were taken from offices, investigators said. Anarchy symbols were spray painted on a portrait of Jesus Christ, the door to the bishop's office and the front wall of the chapel.
A Duchesne County sheriff's deputy recalled seeing the same anarchy symbol painted inside Hirst's home during a prior investigation, which led authorities to Hirst. Detectives also found shoe prints around the building and on the doors that had been kicked in, which matched Hirst's shoes.
The 17-year-old boy involved in the incident entered admissions in juvenile court earlier this month to allegations of burglary and theft, according to deputy Duchesne County attorney Anthony Wilcox. The teen is also responsible for paying a portion of the restitution.
