BOX ELDER COUNTY – By Cari Doutre, Headliner Publisher, November 2, 2022
A former Garland Elementary School teacher accused of inappropriate sexual behavior towards two juvenile students, has been released from custody after the Box Elder County Attorney’s Office determined that further investigation is needed before official charges can be filed.
Patrick Alan Green, 59, was arrested by the Tremonton Garland Police Department and booked into the Box Elder County Jail on four first-degree felony counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child on October 17, 2022. The case was then referred to the Box Elder County Attorney’s Office to determine if criminal charges should be filed against Green.
For more on this story, read a previously published article by BRVNEWS.com on the link below.
After reviewing the investigation conducted by the Tremonton Garland Police Department, the county attorney’s office determined that while sufficient probable cause existed to arrest Green, additional time was needed to further investigate and review the evidence before any criminal charges can be filed.
In accordance with Utah Rules of Criminal Procedure (see Rule 9(c)(4), criminal charges must be filed before 3 p.m. on the fourth calendar day after Green was booked into the Box Elder County Jail otherwise the county would be required to release him from custody. Green was released from custody on October 21.
“Given the nature, complexity of the potential criminal charges which may be filed against Mr. Green, and the amount of evidence which must be collected and reviewed, the Box Elder County Attorney’s Office has determined that additional time is needed for further investigation and review of the evidence before any criminal charges can be filed,” stated the Box Elder County Attorney’s Office.
The Box Elder County Attorney’s Office is currently working with the Tremonton Garland Police Department to “finalize a full and complete investigation of Mr. Green and review all available evidence before the filing of any criminal charges.”
“This does not mean that no criminal charges will be filed against Mr. Green, but only that more time is needed to further evaluate and determine the appropriate criminal charges,” the county attorney’s office added.
In the wake of Green’s arrest, Garland Elementary announced on October 28, in an email sent to parents/guardians that Vanica Crane would be taking over as the school’s new principal replacing Mark Johnson, effective immediately.
“This staff adjustment is one of the many changes the district is making to reinforce our commitment to a safe and conducive learning environment for all our students and staff. We are also currently evaluating and strengthening our staff training and reporting procedures. Our thoughts and efforts are focused on our students, families and staff as we move forward as a community,” Box Elder School District Superintendent Steve Carlsen stated in the email.
Carlsen told BRVNEWS.com that Johnson was transferred to assistant principal half-time at both Adele C. Young Intermediate School and Box Elder Middle School in Brigham City.
