This too. That stop in Moab would have caused anxiety (showing up in Gabby's tears) about their relationship, their entire trip (they would have been stuck in Moab for at least 3-4 weeks and all their reservations and plans ruined, had either of them been charged) and therefore, about her desire to make a living as a vlogger.
She had found a focus for herself (he had not, IMO). IME, when a woman in a controlling relationship does that (finds a true calling or focus for herself), the partner acts out in various ways (unplanned, planned) to ruin it.
If they had indeed been having these "little slap fights" with her punching and scratching him, him "shmooshing," scratching and (minor) bruising her, now it had gone public, far from home and was called as a 911. Wow. Now all of a sudden, behaviors which perhaps both sets of parents had seen (and maybe engaged in themselves, especially when younger)...now these behaviors were public and a matter of legal record. A police report was filed. They were made to separate. Made to. By police. And not just one LEO showed up. It must have felt major.
I figure that's why BL left from SLC (and I agree with you who sleuthed the airfare that they might have stayed in the van while he figured out the financing of that). Then...why does he come back? Someone knows something (his parents do).
That LE stop upped their stress levels a lot. It would for anyone. These behaviors, perhaps acceptable to them and common in their life, were now amping up due to road life stress, uncertainty on many levels, financial problems, maturation issues, and now, legal/criminal stress. Just wow. I can't even imagine.
