The Zion Times

By: Sachet A. Sullivan | The Zion Times
A Cedar City couple was arrested yesterday afternoon after their runaway daughter allegedly made statements that led investigators to obtain a search warrant for their home.

Just six days earlier, the girl’s mother had posted an urgent plea on Facebook, saying her 13-year-old daughter had run away from Canyon View Middle School on August 14th. The post included a description of what the teen was last seen wearing and asked the community to keep watch. The girl was located safe about a day and a half later, but the family’s relief quickly turned to chaos.

According to court documents filed in 5th District Court, a Canyon View Middle School resource officer and the Division of Child and Family Services interviewed the teen and her siblings after she was safely found. The juveniles allegedly told investigators that their parents, Neil (46) and Rachael Hight (44), were in possession of drugs and firearms. Agents then obtained a search warrant for their residence and vehicles. 

Because both parents are convicted felons — and Neil Hight’s reported criminal history included violent felonies such as home invasion — the Task Force classified the warrant as “high risk” and the Iron Metro SWAT team was called in to execute the raid and serve the warrant. 

During the search, investigators reportedly seized 13 firearms from various locations inside the residence. Nine were reportedly found in a wooden cabinet on the main level, with the cabinet key hanging on the wall nearby. Two loaded pistols were allegedly located in a small safe at the foot of the couple’s bed. In the downstairs portion of the home, said to belong to the grandmother, the bedroom was locked but Rachael Hight reportedly let investigators in by opening the door without a key showing “how easy it was to gain access” the affidavit states. Inside the closet, officers claim an AR-style pistol with an optic was in plain view. Investigators further reported that a locked safe in the same closet was opened using a code Neil Hight allegedly provided from a jewelry box; inside authorities reportedly found another pistol and additional ammunition. Despite initial allegations about drugs being in the home, no narcotics were found, and no drug charges were filed.

Court records state that during the initial stages of the investigation, authorities conducted a records check on both parents. That check reportedly showed Neil Hight has prior felony convictions for home invasion, possession of a stolen vehicle, domestic battery and fraud, while Rachael Hight has a prior felony burglary conviction. The records do not specify how long ago those convictions occurred. Following the discovery of firearms in the home, the couple was charged with 13 counts each of second-degree felony prohibited dangerous weapon conduct. Authorities have requested the couple be held without bail. 

It remains unclear how the Iron-Garfield-Beaver Narcotics Task Force became involved in what began as a school-based investigation. When The Zion Times reached out to the Task Force for comment, the request was declined and referred to the Iron County Attorney’s Office under a new policy. Under the Task Force’s new policy, all media inquiries are permanently routed to the Iron County Attorney’s Office, effectively cutting off direct communication with Task Force agents. The Task Force is the only law enforcement body in Iron, Beaver, or Garfield counties without a designated Public Information Officer, and it answers to a three-county board rather than a single agency such as the Iron County Sheriff’s Office or Cedar City Police Department. Officials declined to comment on the reasoning behind the change, saying only that it was intended “to protect investigations from extra-judicial statements.” When asked how the policy would be applied consistently across cases, authorities gave conflicting answers — leaving the scope of the new protocol unclear.

The new arrangement also highlights a history of finger-pointing between agencies. In past cases, including the 2025 “Retro Raid” that targeted a Cedar City business, the Iron County Attorney’s Office denied involvement in Task Force operations and directed questions back to law enforcement. Now, under the revised policy, the Task Force refuses to speak and refers all questions to the County Attorney. The result is a communication gap where neither side takes responsibility for informing the public.

INDIVIDUALS LISTED ON THIS PAGE HAVE BEEN BOOKED INTO IRON COUNTY JAIL AND ARE ACCUSED OF THE FOLLOWING CRIMES BUT ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL AND UNLESS PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW.