Booking photo for Bryan Ash (Courtesy: Cache County Jail)
LOGAN — A 57-year-old North Logan man has confessed to threatening and assaulting a woman last summer. Bryan P. Ash has been in the Cache County Jail since being arrested in June.
Ash took part in a virtual hearing in 1st District Court Monday afternoon, appearing by web conference from jail. He accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to attempted aggravated assault and criminal mischief, both amended from felonies to misdemeanors.
On June 4, North Park police officers were dispatched to a North Logan RV park. As they arrived, they spotted Ash driving at a high speed through the parking lot. He was wearing only workout shorts and bleeding from his head.
The victim told officers how Ash had started “acting crazy,” prompting her to defend and lock herself inside their trailer. He began screaming and threatening to kill her multiple times. She stated that he then began pouring gasoline all over the outside of the trailer and on the ground, saying he was going to kill her and he wanted to go back to prison.
Ash admitted to officers that he poured gasoline on the RV, claiming that it was his property. He showed them a text message on his phone, claiming the owner of the RV Park had given him permission to stay at the property. In the same conversation were additional messages from him, describing how he was going to kill the woman and go back to prison.
During Monday’s court appearance, Cache County Deputy Attorney Griffin Hazard said the plea deal to lesser charges was due in part to the victim. He explained how she had stopped cooperating with investigators, claiming the case had been blown out of proportion.
Hazard also said, based on how long Ash had already served in jail, he felt it was best to resolve and close the case. He also noted, the defendant was wanted in California for violating his probation and parole, and would likely be transferred back there to face more charges.
Judge Brandon Maynard accepted the plea deal but refused to close the case until prosecutors contact the victim, to see if she wanted to make a statement during sentencing. He scheduled a sentencing hearing for Feb. 8.
Ash remains in jail. He could still face up to one year behind bars.
will@cvradio.com