The Cache County Sheriff’s Complex (Will Feelright)
LOGAN — A 26-year-old inmate is facing more criminal charges after he allegedly tried to start a fire in his jail cell. Joseph I. Moralez is currently serving a prison sentence at the Cache County Jail.
According to an arrest affidavit, Cache County Sheriff’s deputies were conducting a routine check of Moralez’s cell block on Tuesday. As they entered, they reportedly could smell an odor of burnt paper.
Security cameras showed Moralez had used pieces of broken graphite from a pencil, to start a piece of paper on fire in the common area of the block. He put the pieces of graphite in each side of an electric outlet and then used a third piece to complete the circuit, producing a bright flash.
As the graphite heated up, he ignited a piece of paper, the report described.
Deputies claim Moralez was the only one in the common area at the time of the fire. They were also able to collect pieces of graphite and burnt paper as evidence.
Jail records show, Moralez was booked on suspicion of aggravated arson, a first-degree felony; and three counts of possessing a prohibited item in a correctional facility, a second-degree felony.
According to court records, Moralez is from Vernal. He and two other individuals robbed a Vernal home in August 2017 and then fled the area. Within a month, all three were caught in Colorado and extradited back to Utah.
Moralez accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to aggravated burglary in August 2018. He was later sentenced to serve five-years-to-life in the Utah State Prison.
The Cache County Sheriff’s Office has a contract with the Utah Department of Corrections, to house some prison inmates in the Cache County Jail for a fee if space is available.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
will@cvradio.com