Man Arrested for Vandalising Casper Food Pantry Buildings
Casper police officers arrested a man early Thursday morning after he allegedly broke windows at two downtown food pantries.
Darren Thunehorst, 36, was booked into jail on recommended charges of public intoxication and two counts of property destruction, all misdemeanors. He will likely make his initial appearance in Natrona County Circuit Court at 2 p.m. Thursday.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, a police officer responded to Joshua's Storehouse in the 300 Block of South Wolcott Street at midnight for a report of a man who was evidently hitting the air and appeared to have thrown something at the store.
The officer saw a man, who he recognized as Thunehorst, walking northbound on Wolcott near Midwest Avenue. Thunehorst told the officer that he was walking home from a bar and hadn't done anything wrong.
A witness told the officer that he had seen Thunehorst "kicking the s---" out of the door and windows at the Poverty Resistance building as well as Joshua's Storehouse. Thunehorst also appeared to throw objects at both buildings.
In the street out in front of the Poverty Resistance building, the officer found a full box of sweet potatoes, with sweet potatoes scattered about. Two of the building's windows were broken, and inside one window the officer saw chunks of sweet potato laying among pieces of broken glass on the floor.
Surveillance video reportedly showed Thunehorst try to open the front of Joshua's Storehouse shortly before midnight, then begin throwing objects at the glass. Thunehorst later exited the camera view and returned with a bucket, which he threw into the front window of the building.
Thunehorst told the investigating officer that he had emotional issues as well as drinking problem, and he had an appointment at Central Wyoming Counseling Center set for Thursday.
Thunehorst was arrested.