Arrest Warrant Issued Over Threats Against St. George Costco

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Police in St. George are seeking to arrest a Las Vegas man accused of making a series of threatening phone calls targeting a local Costco, during which he allegedly made racist and anti-gay remarks.

According to an arrest warrant, investigators believe the suspect made four calls to the Costco located at 835 N. 3050 East starting Jan. 4. During the calls, he allegedly threatened to bomb the store if Black and homosexual employees were not removed.

Employees told police the caller threatened to “blast the place” and “light them up like a BBQ” if the company did not “get rid of the Black and homosexual employees,” the warrant states.

Authorities traced the phone number to a 44-year-old man from Las Vegas. Investigators also reportedly linked the same phone number to racially charged threats made a year earlier against a Ford dealership in St. George.

Caleb Perkins, an employee at the Costco, said he believed one of the calls specifically targeted him after the caller allegedly described his appearance.

“It was so heinous,” Perkins said. “People should not be talking about other people like that.”

Perkins added that the threats were alarming for both employees and shoppers. “No one deserves to have to come to work and be afraid for their lives,” he said.

A close friend of the suspect reportedly told investigators that the man may suffer from an undiagnosed mental illness and had allegedly displayed bias against African Americans and homosexual people in the past.

One employee, who requested anonymity out of concern for retaliation, said hourly workers were largely unaware of the threats and claimed only managers had been notified via email. Some customers and workers expressed frustration that they were not informed sooner.

“It would have been nice to know before I came here,” one customer said. “You never know. That could have been scary.”

Perkins said the store had tried to keep workers informed and safe, though he acknowledged broader concerns about discrimination and escalating threats.

“It’s just so normalized,” he said. “People are getting way too comfortable.”

The arrest warrant states a St. George police detective attempted to contact the suspect multiple times without success. The St. George Police Department has declined further comment until an arrest is made.

Under Utah law, making a bomb threat is generally considered a misdemeanor, though charges can be elevated to a felony if the threat involves a weapon of mass destruction. Convictions can carry penalties ranging from six months to 15 years in prison, along with possible restitution for emergency response costs.