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SANDY — A Texas man is facing felony charges accusing him of illegally entering the Real Salt Lake stadium, breaking into a refrigerator — and stealing a Diet Coke.
Sean Christian Matthews, 23, of Rockwall, Texas, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with causing property damage, a second-degree felony; and burglary, a third-degree felony.
About 3 a.m. Thursday, Sandy police responded to America First Field, 9256 S. State, home of Real Salt Lake and the Utah Royals, on a report of a trespasser.
Officers found Matthews sitting in a chair in the north side of the stadium. He claimed he scaled a wall to get in, and then "used a pole, later identified as a retractable belt stanchion, to break into the refrigerator," according to a police booking affidavit. "Sean then explained that he took a Diet Coke from the refrigerator machine which he later found to be unlocked and accessible by sliding open the doors."
Police were later shown surveillance video of Matthews "throwing the retractable belt stanchion into the refrigerator twice and then placing the stanchion to the side. There is also (video) of Sean jumping the wall, and of Sean stealing a Diet Coke from the refrigerator," the affidavit states.
The cost of repairing the damage caused by Matthews is estimated at more than $17,000, according to charging documents.
