A West Valley City warehouse near 2600 S. Decker Lake Blvd. was torn apart early Thursday morning by a man police say was hunting for copper wiring, leaving behind roughly $70,000 in damage before crashing his truck while trying to flee officers. Casey Steven Kalipetsis, 48, was booked into jail on a string of charges tied to the chaotic scene.
Police were called to the building at about 9:15 a.m. Thursday, according to KSL, after surveillance cameras still operating inside the vacant facility caught a man breaking in. The building had belonged to an outdoor recreation company but was recently purchased by the state and sat empty, police said, per the same report.
Smashed Windows, Gutted Breaker Boxes
Investigators believe Kalipetsis used a rock to smash a glass window to get inside. Once in, police say he went after the building’s copper wiring with a vengeance, breaking every breaker box and tearing holes in walls and ceiling panels to trace the wire’s path through the structure, the station’s report notes. An affidavit states he used an angle grinder to cut several copper wires from the walls and ceiling but ran out of time to haul them away before officers showed up.
The damage from his rampage exceeded $70,000, per the affidavit cited by the outlet. Despite the destruction, Kalipetsis left the cut wiring behind when police arrived at the scene.
Fleeing Through Traffic, Into a Wall
When officers showed up, Kalipetsis bolted in an F-150, driving into oncoming traffic as he tried to get away, according to the same account. He eventually struck a cinderblock wall and was taken into custody, the affidavit states. After his arrest, Kalipetsis told investigators he had consumed too much bath salts and was not feeling well, per the affidavit…