A group of teens in Uintah County were captured on a trail camera blowing up a mailbox at the home of a Vernal police officer last month. According to the Affidavit For Search Warrant filed in 8th District Court, the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office was asked to perform the investigation and, using the photographs from the trail camera, the car and its owner were identified. Officers located the car and made contact with the driver who identified himself and said that he did not have a driver’s license. The passenger was asked to step out of the vehicle and was identified as the son of the vehicle owner. The owner’s son was taken to his residence where the officer spoke with he and his mother, the vehicle owner. The young man indicated that there were 5 teens in the vehicle at the time of the incident and the front passenger had placed the explosive into the mailbox. The officer also spoke with the front passenger and his father. It was revealed that several of the juveniles filmed the explosion and as a result three cell phones were taken and placed into evidence. In the Affidavit For Search Warrant, the officer indicated that he hoped the video from the cell phones would help show the mindset of those involved to determine whether or not the incident was meant to specifically target the police officer’s home or not.
