Utah woman hospitalized after husband beat her, police say

A woman was hospitalized and her husband was behind bars after he allegedly beat her in a drunken rage Monday night in their room at the Cedar Breaks Lodge in Brian Head.

Police responded to the woman's 911 call at about 11:30 p.m. They arrived on the scene to find the woman, 33, severely injured, and the man, 39, drunk and angry, said Brian Head Deputy Marshal Jared Burton on Tuesday.

"He was still upset when our deputy got there. We got him into custody with no problems, but he was very agitated. The deputy said he could smell alcohol coming from his person," Burton said.

The couple, who have a history of domestic violence, are from St. George and were on vacation in Brian Head, Burton said.

The woman suffered face trauma, an injury to her sternum and possibly a broken hand. She was in surgery as of Tuesday afternoon, Burton said.

The man was booked into the Iron County jail on suspicion of intoxication and domestic violence enhanced, a Class A misdemeanor. He was also charged with interfering with a communication device because he allegedly tried to rip the phone out of his wife's hand when she tried to dial 911, Burton said.

After her surgery, the woman will be sent to the crisis center in St. George, where a therapist will treat her for possible post-traumatic stress disorder, Burton said.

hstevens@sltrib.com

Twitter: @Harry_Stevens