A Utah man is facing charges after he allegedly stole a backhoe from a construction site, drove it 1.5 kilometers to a nearby grocery store and dug up the parking lot. Salt Lake City police said officers began receiving calls around noon Saturday about a man “accidentally” digging up a strip of grass and sidewalk outside a Smith’s grocery store, officers said in a news release. “Here’s something you don’t see every day, someone stole a backhoe and drove it almost a mile to 800 South 900 West where it started tearing up the ground,” the police department tweeted.
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Here’s something you don’t see everyday, someone stole a backhoe and drove it almost a mile to 800 South 900 West where it started tearing up the ground. The suspect is in custody and utility crews are examining the damage. #slc #slcpd #saltlakecity pic.twitter.com/VSfnR44xOp
— Salt Lake City Police (@slcpd) August 6, 2022
“The suspect is in custody and utility crews are assessing the damage.”
Police claimed the man hit a water pipe and tore through newly installed fiber optic utility lines.
“The full extent of the damage is still being assessed,” said police, who added that no injuries were reported.
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The suspect was prevented from leaving the store until police arrived by witnesses and construction crew members who followed him after he allegedly took the backhoe, which had been left running at a construction site.
Omar Ortega, 46, was charged with felony theft and criminal mischief.
