UPDATED: Woman shot by officer at Parowan truck stop was wielding screwdriver, police say

PAROWAN — A vehicle burglary suspect was shot and wounded by a police officer during a confrontation at a truck stop in Parowan Thursday.

Lt. Del Schlosser of the Iron County Sheriff’s Office said the incident occurred at the Travel America travel center at 1150 N. 100 West,  just off Interstate 15 Exit 78.

“At approximately 11:35 this morning, Cedar Communications received a phone call about a vehicle burglary here at the TA,” Schlosser told Cedar City News. “Multiple individuals were found entering multiple vehicles.”

“Officers arrived on scene and confronted them. An altercation occurred, and during that altercation shots were fired by one of the officers on scene.”

According to information released by the sheriff’s office Friday afternoon, the officer who fired his weapon was Enoch City Police Corporal Jeremy Dunn. Two suspects – a man and a woman – were involved in the confrontation, but only the woman was shot. She had been holding a screwdriver in her hand, according to the statement.

The woman, later identified by authorities as Ivonne Casimiro, 29, of Las Vegas, was shot twice in the leg, after which officers at the scene rendered medical assistance until emergency responders arrived. Casimiro was transported by ambulance to Cedar City Hospital and later to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George for treatment of injuries that were not believed to be life threatening. 

The male suspect, later identified as Jose Martin Flores, 34, of Las Vegas, was not injured and was taken into custody.

Flores was booked into the Iron County Jail on suspicion of two third-degree felony counts of vehicle burglary and one count of receiving or possessing a stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony.

A third suspect, a man who authorities say was involved in the vehicle burglaries, but not the confrontation that led to the shooting, reportedly fled the scene on foot and was at large for nearly six hours before being arrested in Parowan shortly before 6 p.m.

That man, later identified as Michael Salvador Torres, 24, also of Las Vegas, reportedly changed clothes during the time he was being sought for questioning.

Torres was booked into Iron County Jail on suspicion of of two third-degree felony counts of vehicle burglary and one count of receiving or possessing a stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony. Torress also faces a possible misdemeanor charge in connection with a theft between $500 and $1,500, according to the jail website.

Although Casimiro remains in the hospital as of Friday afternoon, she faces the following possible charges once she is released, according to the Iron County Sheriff’s Office: one count possession of a stolen vehicle, two counts of burglary of a vehicle, one count of failure to comply with a lawful order of a peace officer and two counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer.

No officers were injured in the incident.

Responding officers at the scene were from Parowan Police Department, Enoch Police Department and the Iron County Sheriff’s Office.

Tthe Iron County Critical Incident Task Force is investigating the incident.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Updated June 29, 4 p.m. to include the name of the female suspect and other details about the shooting incident.

Updated June 29, 7 a.m. to include the name and booking information for the second male suspect, in addition to other details.

Updated June 28, 8:30 p.m. to include name and jail booking information for one of the three suspects.

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