Hate symbol and possible arson at Sanpete County attorney's home

EPHRAIM — Early Wednesday, Sanpete County Attorney Kevin Daniels woke to find his porch on fire and symbols of hate spray-painted on his home and car. Ephraim police are investigating this as an arson case and are asking for help from the public.

Police said they were called to the home about 3 a.m. for a structure fire; no injuries were reported. Deputy county attorney Wesley Mangum confirmed for KSL-TV that the home belongs to Daniels and that he and his family were home at the time of the fire and vandalism.

Mangum said he got a call from Daniels about 2:30 a.m. and arrived on the scene shortly after police.

"Mr. Daniels was awakened by his dog barking and a fire that had been lit on his front porch," Mangum said.

Mangum told KSL-TV that Daniels used a garden hose on the fire until crews arrived. They also found a bright red swastika spray-painted onto Daniels' garage door and more paint on his car.

"We do get involved with, you know, individuals who are members of certain gangs that use that sign as their, you know, their emblem. But it's not confirmed that that's related here," Mangum said. "We're confident that law enforcement, through their investigation, will come through and have some answers to those questions, in time."

Although this incident was scary and worries Mangum, he's confident it won't stop the office from serving Sanpete County.

"I know that Mr. Daniels loves what he does. I love what I do. It doesn't faze us one bit," he said.

Ephraim police are asking residents to check their doorbell cameras and security footage for anything suspicious overnight from July 15 to July 16. If you have information that might be useful, contact them at 435-283-4602 or police@ephraim.gov.

Related topics