An eighth suspect has been charged in the destruction of a Salt Lake City police car that was flipped over and set on fire during a May protest sparked by the death of George Floyd, according to reports.
Monico Isidro Romero, 31, of Salt Lake City, is accused of pushing a yellow flag with a wooden handle through the patrol car’s windshield after it was flipped on its side, FOX13 Salt Lake City reported. He faces charges of criminal mischief, a first-degree felony, and rioting, a third-degree felony.
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The incident unfolded May 30 when a group of protesters surrounded a police officer driving a patrol vehicle and banged on the windows, the Salt Lake Tribune reported, citing probable cause statements. The officer called for help and other officers removed her from the scene, the statements said.
At least eight people then pushed the empty police car onto its roof and set it on fire, police have said. The car sustained more than $5,000 in damage, according to the Deseret News.
The five others already facing similar charges include Ian Eric Nightingale, 18, Connor Matthew Peebles, 21, Rhys Clementine Wisner, 21, Folau Ofakikolokakala Mafi, 26, and 27-year-old Julia Mariam Yasima.
Two other suspects facing federal charges include 26-year-old Jackson Stuart Tamowski Patton and 28-year-old Latroi Devons Newbins.
Patton, 26, is accused of tossing a combustible substance into the patrol car, feeding the flames that destroyed it, prosecutors said in court documents.
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Meanwhile, Newbins has claimed he was trying to put out the fire, his attorney told FOX13 last week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.