Temple Har Shalom’s sign on S.R. 224 was vandalized over the weekend in what synagogue leaders are calling an antisemitic attack days before the Jewish community’s most important holidays.

Rabbi Jeff Dreifus said a synagogue administrator noticed the property damage on Monday and speculated the incident happened late Saturday night or Sunday. He said the sign’s letters had been ripped off and the Star of David was destroyed.

“It’s very disheartening because Jews have been part of Park City’s history and Park City’s community for so long and are so active in making this community better,” Dreifus said. “We call our synagogue our Jewish home in the mountains. For your home to be defaced by someone who clearly wants us not to feel comfortable and not feel safe in this community, it’s really sad.”

Temple Har Shalom President June K. Volk said the incident was additionally upsetting because it happened before Rosh Hashanah, one of the Jewish faith’s most important holidays. But the start of the High Holy Days, which begins with Rosh Hashanah on Friday night and will culminate with Yom Kippur toward the end of September, is also providing comfort in the wake of the vandalism.

“During these days, we do a lot of introspection, reflection, and we think about ways to make our world stronger and better,” Volk said. “We call that concept ‘tikkun olam,’ and that means ‘repairing the world.’ We look not only inward, but outward to do better for the coming year.”

Dreifus said the vandalism is “unfortunately not unexpected or surprising” considering the current political environment in the United States and the rise of anti-semitic conflicts over the past few years. His parents’ synagogue in Michigan, his cousin’s synagogue in Mississippi and his hometown synagogue in Tennessee have all been threatened with violence, which Dreifus said showcases the pervasive intimidation the Jewish faith is experiencing.

“This act was done by a person who doesn’t want us to feel safe in this community, but the Jewish faith and Jewish people are a people of joy and of finding meaning in life and of making the world a better place,” Dreifus said. “We’re not going to let this person’s act intimidate us or detract from our joy, especially in this season of the Jewish High Holy Days.”

Summit County Sheriff’s Office deputies are present for every synagogue event, and the building itself has cameras and security measures in place, Dreifus said. He emphasized Temple Har Shalom’s commitment to keeping the synagogue and its visitors safe, adding that more cameras will be installed to monitor the sign when it’s replaced.

“We have received so much support, and I think it’s important to keep that perspective,” Dreifus said. “Maybe there are a small few who want us to feel intimidated, but the vast majority of the people in Park City and the people in America and the people around the world are good neighbors and good friends and have love in their hearts. … We have a vibrant Jewish community, and we should be proud of that.”

Sgt. Skyler Talbot with the Sheriff’s Office said the department is investigating the vandalism, but it’s too early in the process to determine if there will be hate crime enhancements to any potential charges.

“Summit County is better than this,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Friday morning. “Intentionally damaging another person’s property is unacceptable, and targeting an individual or group because of their religion makes the conduct even more concerning. Every member of our community should feel safe and respected. The Sheriff’s Office will not tolerate acts of intimidation, harassment or discrimination directed at members of our community.”

The post Temple Har Shalom vandalized days before Jewish community celebrates its holiest holidays appeared first on Park Record.

A 24-year-old man has been ordered to leave the United States after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a Park City High School student.

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik sentenced Conrrado Ahuexoteco to 48 months of probation after he pleaded guilty to third-degree forcible sexual abuse, according to court documents. He also ordered Ahuexoteco, who was in the United States illegally, to leave the country.

A misdemeanor charge for obstruction of justice was dropped in return for the plea, and Mrazik signed a continuous protective order preventing Ahuexoteco from contacting the teenage girl he assaulted.

The girl, who was a Park City High School student at the time of the assault, reported the incident two days after it happened in late February, according to court documents. She agreed to a medical examination, and nurses noted her body had signs of injuries. The girl also showed investigators an Instagram account she’d found that appeared to belong to Ahuexoteco.

The girl told detectives that she went to her friend’s house near the school and was in bed, watching videos on her phone, while her friend took a shower. Ahuexoteco, who was referred to in court documents as the friend’s 24-year-old ex-boyfriend, also came to the house and asked the girl if he could watch videos with her.

He then proceeded to get into bed and touched her inappropriately despite the girl repeatedly telling him to stop.

The Park City Police Department interviewed two other minors who were at the home when the incident happened. Both said they saw Ahuexoteco in the bed with the girl. They told detectives they didn’t see the assault happen, but the girl told them about it afterward.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for Ahuexoteco’s DNA and went to his residence, but Ahuexoteco said his name was Jose and provided officers with a different unit number than the one he lived in when confronted.

The unit number he provided was on the other side of the apartment complex, but detectives watched Ahuexoteco walk into a unit with a different number than the one he’d just described. The unit he entered was the apartment they believed Ahuexoteco lived in based on his car registration.

Officers arrested and interviewed Ahuexoteco, who claimed to have met the girl two or three times. However, he insisted he “never really talked” to her and denied that he was the friend’s ex-boyfriend.

Ahuexoteco has been held in the Summit County Jail without bail since his arrest. Court documents did not indicate how the Summit County Attorney’s Office will ensure Ahuexoteco leaves the country to comply with his sentencing.

The post Man accused of assaulting Park City High School student ordered to leave the United States appeared first on Park Record.

A Park City dentist has been charged with two felonies and multiple misdemeanors after he allegedly engaged in “unlawful sexual conduct” with a teenager and provided her with illegal drugs.

The 16-year-old girl reported Benjamin James Wilson, a dentist with Mountain High Family Dental, to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. She told investigators that Wilson had given her alcohol, “molly, weed and shrooms” when she was visiting Park City in June.

The teenager also disclosed that Wilson had given her nitrous oxide at his dental office and asked her to “measure his” genitals in exchange for more drugs, which she did.

The Summit County Attorney’s Office filed charges against Wilson on Thursday. He is facing two second-degree felonies for the distribution of a controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor for unlawful sexual conduct with a teenager, a Class A misdemeanor for giving alcohol to a minor and a Class B misdemeanor for “contributing to the delinquency of a minor.”

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik signed a warrant for Wilson’s arrest, and he was scheduled to attend court in an initial appearance on Friday.

Second-degree felonies carry a potential prison sentence of one to 15 years and up to a $10,000 fine.

Mountain High Family Dental had not responded to a request for comment, including details on Wilson’s employment status with the business, by the time of publication.

The post Park City dentist charged for alleged sexual misconduct with teenage patient appeared first on Park Record.

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office is searching for three people who were allegedly involved in an assault in the Snyderville Basin last week.

The department received a report of three men attacking a man and a woman in the Canyons Village area on Friday. The man had significant injuries to his face, and the woman’s face also appeared red and sore after the attack.

The victims said the attackers were strangers and identified the group as two white men and one Polynesian man. They did not know their attackers’ names or license plate information.

The altercation reportedly started when the three strangers began making derogatory remarks toward the man and woman as they were walking back to their car after a concert. It then turned physical.

The Sheriff’s Office said no suspects have been arrested, and deputies have not located the cars despite receiving multiple vehicle descriptions throughout the investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office responded to multiple other calls between Monday, Aug. 24, and Sunday, Aug. 30, including suspected DUIs, mail theft and medical emergencies.

Sunday, Aug. 30

Deputies responded to a single-vehicle accident in the Snyderville Basin. The driver showed signs of impairment and was cited for suspected DUI before he was released to medical staff.

Saturday, Aug. 29

Deputies stopped a car traveling in the Snyderville Basin after observing traffic violations, but they suspected impairment once they spoke to the driver. The driver performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was arrested for a suspected DUI. Deputies also found an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle.

Friday, Aug. 28

Deputies were dispatched to assist with CPR on an individual who had been hiking the Wasatch Crest trail in Millcreek. They stayed on scene until Salt Lake County deputies could respond.

A caller reported suspicious vehicles in Silver Summit. Deputies contacted one of the drivers and learned she was a package delivery driver, but they found an empty shipping box that she had seemingly thrown out of her car. Deputies contacted the individual on the shipping label, who said the package had not been delivered. The driver of the second car opened the vehicle’s trunk where undelivered packages were located. Deputies saw the contents of the discarded box inside and arrested the first driver for mail theft.

Thursday, Aug. 27

Deputies identified a suspicious vehicle parked at a Kimball Junction gas station. They contacted the driver and discovered she was on probation. During a search of the car, deputies found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The driver was arrested and booked into the Summit County Jail.

The post Sheriff’s Report: Deputies investigate assault of two individuals in the Canyons Village area appeared first on Park Record.

Kouri Darden Richins, the Kamas mother of three convicted of killing her husband, Eric Richins, was ordered to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution to two life insurance companies that granted her funds from Eric’s policies after his death.

Summit County prosecutors filed a motion in July requesting Third District Judge Richard Mrazik order Darden Richins to pay $1 million to Auto Owners Insurance and $350,000 to TruStage. Darden Richins was listed as her husband’s beneficiary and received the money from his life insurance policies when he died.

However, prosecutors argued during her trial that Darden Richins killed Eric for financial gain. Darden Richins, who had a business flipping houses, was $7.5 million in debt at the time of Eric’s death in March 2022 and was paying $80,000 a month to her lenders, according to a forensic accountant who testified this spring.

Defense attorney Wendy Lewis told Mrazik on Friday that the defense team was not contesting the restitution amount or requesting a full hearing on the issue. She asked Mrazik to pause restitution payments until Darden Richins’ pending appeal is settled. However, Mrazik said state law requires him to immediately send information to debt collectors if a defendant has been convicted.

Darden Richins filed an appeal in late May, two weeks after Mrazik sentenced her to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole. Appellate cases do not focus on the crime or the evidence presented at trial but on potential procedural errors and whether the trial was conducted correctly.

Shortly after her sentencing, Darden Richins accused Mrazik of displaying bias throughout her case and asked for a new trial, as well as a new judge. But part of her request was denied after Third District Judge Kara Pettit, who has not been involved in Darden Richins’ case, said the motion to remove Mrazik was invalid because it failed to meet timelines established under state law.

Pettit said Darden Richins additionally failed to demonstrate Mrazik’s perceived bias, writing that Mrazik’s actions did not show “the level of extreme behavior or conduct reflecting a deep-seated antagonism toward (the) defense, nor favoritism toward the prosecution, to warrant disqualification.”

Prosecutors have until Sept. 4 to respond to the motion for a new trial, and a decision isn’t expected until October.

Darden Richins was convicted of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, forgery and two counts of insurance fraud earlier this year.

The post Kouri Darden Richins ordered to pay $1.3 million in restitution to life insurance companies appeared first on Park Record.

Summit County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested an individual with several outstanding warrants after they were called to respond to a domestic violence incident in the Snyderville Basin last week.

Deputies were dispatched to the incident and determined there was probable cause to arrest the aggressor for kidnapping, aggravated assault, assault, threats of violence and interrupting a communication device, according to shift reports.

The individual also had a felony warrant in New Mexico and a warrant for missing a court appearance for a domestic violence case involving the same victim. Deputies arrested the individual and booked them into the Summit County Jail.

Deputies responded to multiple other calls between Monday, Aug. 3, and Sunday, Aug. 16, including suspected DUIs, injured hikers and a fight at a store in Kimball Junction.

Sunday, Aug. 16

Summit County Search and Rescue teams were called to find an overdue hiker near Fehr Lake. Deputies found the hiker’s car near the trailhead. However, the hiker returned to his car before Search and Rescue teams arrived on scene. The call was then canceled.

Deputies stopped a car with an expired registration on S.R. 224. The vehicle smelled of alcohol, and the driver admitted to consuming “several alcoholic beverages” over the last hour. The driver performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was booked into the Summit County Jail for a suspected DUI.

Saturday, Aug. 15

Search and Rescue teams were called to respond to a medical emergency near Ryder Lake. However, the patient was able to return to the trailhead before crews arrived.

Deputies stopped a car on S.R. 224 after they observed multiple traffic violations. The driver appeared impaired, had slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. The driver participated in field sobriety tests, and deputies determined the driver was not capable of safely operating a car. They arrested and booked the driver into the Summit County Jail for a suspected DUI.

Wednesday, Aug. 12

Deputies responded to a reported accident involving a passenger car and a piece of construction equipment on Old Highway 40. The driver of the car performed poorly on field sobriety tests and showed signs of impairment. Deputies placed the driver into custody and booked them into the Summit County Jail after receiving medical clearance.

Saturday, Aug. 8

Deputies responded to an accident in which a car had backed into a parked bus. The driver of the car showed signs of impairment and performed poorly on field sobriety tests. The driver was arrested for a suspected DUI and booked into the Summit County Jail.

Thursday, Aug. 6

Search and Rescue teams were dispatched to a medical emergency near Notch Lake. An individual had dislocated his knee, and a Department of Public Safety helicopter hoisted him to the trailhead to receive medical care.

Wednesday, Aug. 5

Search and Rescue teams assisted with a medical emergency near Wall Lake. They found the individual and helped transport them to the trailhead. The patient was then transported to the hospital.

Search and Rescue teams were paged to investigate the area near a scenic pull-off on Interstate 80 because a vehicle belonging to a missing person was found nearby. They searched on foot and with drones, but they did not find the missing person.

Tuesday, Aug. 4

Deputies responded to reports of a fight at a Kimball Junction retail store. Multiple witnesses said two individuals had gotten into a physical altercation in the parking lot. One of the individuals was a juvenile, and deputies placed the adult involved into custody and transported the adult to the Summit County Jail.

Deputies stopped a car on Paintbrush Road after they observed multiple traffic violations and “suspicious driving behavior.” The car’s registration was revoked, and the driver did not have insurance or a valid license. The vehicle’s VIN number was also “purposely concealed” and illegible. Deputies arrested the driver and impounded the car.

Monday, Aug. 3

Deputies stopped a vehicle near the intersection of S.R. 224 and Newpark Boulevard because of a registration violation. The driver stopped in the middle of the road, and deputies had to direct the driver to pull onto the shoulder. The smell of alcohol emanated from the car, and the driver admitted to drinking at a wine tasting event. The driver participated in field sobriety tests and showed signs of impairment. Deputies arrested the driver for a suspected DUI and booked the individual into the Summit County Jail.

The post Sheriff’s Report: Individual with felony warrants arrested after domestic violence call in Snyderville Basin appeared first on Park Record.

A Summit County man and former USA Climbing coach has pleaded guilty to possessing sexually explicit videos involving children, although most charges were dropped in return for the plea.

Prosecutors in May charged Matthew Maddison, 37, with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony, and three counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, a first-degree felony.

However, 12 of the 13 charges were dismissed last month after Maddison pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor. The charge carries a potential prison sentence of 1 to 15 years in addition to a $10,000 fine; Third District Judge Richard Mrazik will determine the specifics of Maddison’s punishment in a hearing next month.

Detectives had been investigating Maddison for weeks at the time of his April arrest, according to court documents. 

A probable cause statement said a social media company filed a report with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in March, claiming an account on the website had uploaded and distributed sexually explicit materials involving children. The information was forwarded to the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

The task force identified Maddison as the account’s owner because of its connection to his USA Climbing email address, court records said. However, USA Climbing after the arrest said Maddison’s charges “appear to be unrelated to his coaching responsibilities.”

Law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Maddison’s Summit County home, and Maddison reportedly admitted to owning the account, its associated email address and the explicit materials.

He also allegedly told law enforcement that he knew the files were illegal to possess.

Maddison has been held without bail in the Summit County Jail after prosecutors described him as a “flight risk.” They said Maddison is a citizen of the United Kingdom and doesn’t have solid ties to Utah. They also claimed he “presents a danger” to the Summit County community due to the nature of his charges.

“The defendant is a coach at USA Climbing, where he works with youths and has unfettered access to them as a coach and in a position of authority,” the indictment said. “Additionally, the defendant has a young child who lives in his home. The defendant has successfully surrounded himself with children who are around the same age as the children in the (explicit) files he possessed and distributed, which makes him a direct threat to all children in the community, as well as his home.”

Maddison worked as a strength and conditioning coach and speed team manager for USA Climbing, but the organization confirmed his employment was terminated shortly after the arrest. 

USA Climbing also emphasized the safety of its athletes is the organization’s highest priority in a press release.

“We are fully compliant with policy and compliance requirements through the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and all (USA Climbing) employees undergo mandatory background checks,” the press release said. “We are cooperating with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation.”

Maddison is scheduled to appear in court for his sentencing hearing at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 11.

The post Summit County man, a former USA Climbing coach, pleads guilty to child pornography charge appeared first on Park Record.

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik will continue to oversee Kouri Darden Richins’ murder case — and determine whether she should receive a second trial — despite her efforts to disqualify him from the proceedings.

Darden Richins, the Kamas mother of three convicted of killing her husband, Eric Richins, claimed Mrazik had deprived her of a fair trial because he displayed signs of bias favoring prosecutors. She submitted a motion for a new trial late last month along with a motion requesting Mrazik be removed from her case.

Third District Judge Kara Pettit, who has not been involved in Darden Richins’ case, reviewed the motions to decide whether Mrazik’s actions warranted disqualification. Specifically, Darden Richins accused Mrazik of repeatedly interrupting her attorneys, correcting her attorneys in ways that suggested they were mishandling the case in front of jurors and overall exhibiting behaviors “impatient, critical and hostile toward the defense and only the defense.”

However, Pettit noted multiple procedural issues with Darden Richins’ motion, including the lack of an affidavit or declaration “stating facts sufficient to show bias or prejudice or conflict of interest,” which state law requires when petitioning for the disqualification of a judge.

State law also mandates defendants file disqualification requests no later than 21 days after the event spurring the motion. For Darden Richins, the event in question would have been the last day of her trial on March 16, meaning the motion submitted in June was not compliant with the court’s deadlines.

But Pettit said Darden Richins failed to demonstrate Mrazik’s perceived bias, even if she had followed protocol.

Pettit wrote in her decision that state law supports the disqualification of a judge if the individual has a “personal bias or prejudice.” However, she said those disqualifications typically involve a familial relationship with someone in the courtroom, a “close social or professional relationship,” involvement in the case before becoming a judge or a financial interest that could be affected by the proceedings.

“In other words, the bias or prejudice must usually stem from an extrajudicial source, not from occurrences in the proceedings before the judge,” Pettit said. “The court finds the video excerpts … and the trial transcript … do not demonstrate the level of extreme behavior or conduct reflecting a deep-seated antagonism toward defense, nor favoritism toward the prosecution, to warrant disqualification.”

She added that Darden Richins did not have grounds to disqualify Mrazik even if his “conduct could be considered as showing anger or frustration with defense counsel.”

“The court finds and concludes Judge Mrazik’s alleged conduct falls well short of ‘revealing such a high degree of favoritism or antagonism as to make fair judgment impossible,’” the court order said.

Pettit denied the motion to disqualify Mrazik, meaning he will be responsible for determining whether Darden Richins receives a second aggravated murder trial. Prosecutors have until Sept. 4 to respond to the motion for a new trial, and a decision isn’t expected until late September or October.

The post Kouri Richins denied new judge in efforts to obtain second murder trial appeared first on Park Record.

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the loss of more than $40,000 from the Summit County Jail’s bank account, but officials say there is no reason to suspect any current or former employees were involved in the alleged theft.

The Sheriff’s Office filed a warrant in March to obtain documents from Verizon, which received more than $40,000 in payments from a Wells Fargo bank account used to fund jail expenses. The payments were made from October 2022 to June 2025, according to the affidavit.

Sgt. Skyler Talbot with the Sheriff’s Office called the incident an “active criminal investigation into suspected fraud” and said the department can’t share more information because it needs to protect the integrity of the case.

However, he emphasized the alleged fraud was likely not committed by any Sheriff’s Office employees.

“This is being investigated as an external criminal fraud matter and not as an internal personnel investigation,” Talbot said. “The Summit County Sheriff’s Office recognizes the importance of transparency and will provide additional information when doing so will not compromise the criminal investigation.”

The post Summit County Sheriff’s Office investigates loss of more than $40,000 from jail’s bank account appeared first on Park Record.

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office arrested an “unwanted person” who crashed an event in the Snyderville Basin on Friday.

Deputies responded to a private residence after the homeowner reported an individual had shown up for an event without an invitation, according to a departmental shift report. The individual was heavily intoxicated and disruptive, and the homeowner asked that he be removed from the property.

Law enforcement officials asked the individual to leave multiple times, but he refused. They arrested him for intoxication and disorderly conduct.

The Sheriff’s Office responded to multiple other calls between Monday, July 20, and Sunday, July 26, including suspected DUIs, injured hikers and an assault.

Saturday, July 25

Summit County Search and Rescue was dispatched to assist an injured dirt biker near Smith and Morehouse.

Friday, July 24

Deputies stopped a speeding vehicle traveling westbound on Interstate 80. The driver showed signs of impairment and performed poorly on field sobriety tests. Deputies arrested the driver for a suspected DUI and towed the car. The car had “fresh damage” on its passenger side, but deputies were unable to determine whether the collision had occurred in Summit County.

Thursday, July 23

Deputies responded to a reported road rage near the Silver Summit roundabout. An individual had followed a woman to the area and assaulted her. The South Jordan Police Department assisted in locating the individual, who was taken into custody and transported to the Summit County Jail.

Tuesday, July 21

Search and Rescue successfully extracted a hiker with a broken ankle near Wall Lake.

Monday, July 20

Summit County Dispatch issued an attempt-to-locate call for a car struggling to maintain its lane of travel on eastbound I-80. The individual who reported the vehicle to dispatchers said the car had almost crashed into a concrete barrier. Deputies found the car and initiated a traffic stop. The driver performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was booked into the Summit County Jail.

The post Sheriff’s Report: ‘Unwanted person’ removed from private event in Snyderville Basin appeared first on Park Record.