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OGDEN — A man who police believe is responsible for causing dozens of flat tires in Ogden throughout the summer now faces criminal charges.
Aaron Edward Eng, 37, of Ogden was charged Friday in 2nd District Court with causing a catastrophe, a second-degree felony; drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, both class B misdemeanors.
Ogden police received reports all summer of flat tires being caused by metal spiked caltrops left in the road and even in some driveways in the area of 25th Street and Fillmore Avenue near Jaycee Park. Detectives investigating the case found surveillance video of man walking a dog and dropping a caltrop in a driveway. The man was later identified as Eng and a search warrant was served on his home, according to charging documents.
"During the search warrant, officers found eight Amazon purchases (for) a total of 170 caltrop spikes," the charges state, adding that a total of 42 metal caltrops were still in the house at the time the warrant was served.
Eng told police that he dropped the caltrops because he believed "people were using too much water when we were all in a drought," according to the charges.
As of Friday, police have identified 18 victims whose tires were spiked over the summer.
"The damage from the caltrop spiking a tire was often so severe that the damage could not be repaired, but required that the tire be replaced. Ogden police are still gathering reports and statements from other individuals affected in the area throughout the summer of 2021," according to the charges.
