A Cedar City man had his felony charge dropped to a misdemeanor after pleading no contest in court. The man allegedly kidnapped his wife during a domestic incident.
Blake Floyd Cozzens, 36, entered the plea in the 5th district court in Washington County. The original second-degree felony kidnapping charge was downgraded to unlawful detention, a Class B misdemeanor. Cozzens also pleaded no contest to an assault involving domestic violence charge, another Class B misdemeanor.
Two additional Class B Misdemeanors were also dismissed as part of the agreement, including interrupting a communication device and domestic violence in the presence of a child.
The charges stem from an incident on July 1, 2025, along Interstate 15 near the Kolob exit. Troopers of the Utah highway received multiple reports of a domestic dispute.
After troopers arrived on scene, they interviewed both Cozzens and his wife separately. It was determined to be a verbal argument, and the troopers left without making any arrests.
A witness at the scene told officers that the wife had flagged her down, claiming her husband had hit her. Later, the wife told officers she couldn’t recall exactly what she said, and no visible injuries were reported.
The case officially closed and remained closed for over six weeks until August 15, when the wife asked to revise her account of what actually happened.
The charging documents filed in support of Cozzen’s arrest said she told investigators that she wanted to “change or expand” her initial statement. She alleged that he had grabbed her wrist, twisted her fingers, and thrown her phone into the back seat of their vehicle, and forced her back into the vehicle after she attempted to exit.
Two witnesses reported seeing a man, who matches the suspect’s description, forcing a woman back into a vehicle before driving away. This is where the kidnapping charges stem from.
Courtney Sinagra, a Washington County Deputy Attorney and Public Information Officer, said the decision to downgrade the charge was based on evidence prosecutors believed they could prove in court.
“The prosecutor is going to evaluate the evidence in a case and see which elements they can prove,” Sinagra said. “We have a duty not to push a case that we don’t think we can win at a jury trial.”
Cozzens received credit for jail time served as part of the resolution and will not serve additional time on state charges.
Author: Andrew Streeter
Photo courtesy of St. George News
Editor: Hannah Clove
news@suunews.net
