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OREM — A man who police say caused the fire sprinklers to go off in an Orem hotel, forcing 40 guests to find new accommodations, is being accused of causing a catastrophe.
Shane Dee Laursen, 48, of American Fork, was charged Tuesday in 4th District Court with causing a catastrophe and property damage, second-degree felonies; drug possession, a class A misdemeanor; and DUI, a class B misdemeanor.
On Friday, emergency crews were called to the La Quinta Inn, 1100 W. 780 North, on a report a guest had caused the fire sprinklers to go off in the hotel, according to charging documents. The guest, Laursen, was found "wandering around" earlier in the night by an employee and "was sent back to room," the charges state. But about 2 a.m., the fire alarm was set off again.
The employee went to Laursen's room "and could hear the water running in the room. Opening the door to the room, (the employee) could see the fire sprinklers were on in the room and the room was flooding," the charges state.
The first and second floors of the hotel sustained over $5,000 in water damage, according to a police booking affidavit.
"The damages caused 40 guests to move out," prosecutors say.
Laursen had left the hotel by the time police arrived. Officers called his phone and convinced him to drive back to the scene.
"(He) said he disassembled the sprinkler, hit it with a hammer and it sprayed water on the room because he just wanted to go to sleep," according to the charges. The police affidavit adds that Laursen allegedly made other statements such as "saying he destroyed the sprinkler system because he did not know what it was."
While questioning Laursen, officers suspected he was impaired and he had driven back to the hotel in that condition, the charges state. He later tested positive for meth, amphetamine and THC in his system, according to the charges.
"Due to Shane destroying the sprinkler system, it caused his room, the first floor and the second floor to become flooded with water causing severe property damage to the building," police stated.
