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OGDEN — An Ogden man was sentenced to probation after he pleaded guilty to dropping spikes onto roadways in an apparent protest because people were using too much water during a drought.
The spikes caused flat tires for at least 18 people and resulted in thousands of dollars in damage.
Aaron Edward Eng, 38, was ordered to be on probation for a year and must report to a local jail every day for 30 days, according to court records. He also must pay nearly $3,000 in restitution to several people, and he must undergo counseling.
In February, Eng pleaded guilty to criminal mischief, a third-degree felony. Eng was initially charged with causing a catastrophe, a second-degree felony, in addition to misdemeanor drug charges. The catastrophe charge was reduced and the drug charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
Last summer, Ogden police began receiving reports that someone was leaving metal spiked caltrops on roads around 25th Street near Jaycee Park, with the caltrops causing "dozens" of flat tires, according to charging documents.
Police later found security footage of a man dropping a caltrop into the road while wearing a fedora and walking a dog. They later identified the man as Eng and went to his home. Officers noted Eng's dog looked similar to the dog seen in the surveillance footage. When officers confronted him with the footage, Eng denied knowing anything about the caltrops but said the dog in the footage looked like his dog, court documents state.
Officers obtained a search warrant for Eng's home and found 42 caltrops inside. Police also found eight Amazon orders with a total of 170 caltrop spikes through Eng's account, according to court documents. Police also found shoes and the fedora seen in the surveillance footage.
Eng later told officers he was dropping the caltrops because he thought that "people were using too much water when we were all in a drought," the charging documents state.
At the time Eng was charged, police were aware of 18 people who had their tires damaged by the caltrop spikes, with the damages estimated at roughly $4,300. One person reported they removed nine caltrop spikes from their property between August and September.
