Laramie Man Arrested for Smashing Cars with Pipe

A Laramie man has been charged with Vandalism of at least three vehicles after the Laramie Police Department says a citizen reported him hitting parked cars with a pipe as he walked along the street.

"Due to the random nature of this crime, this one could have gone unsolved if we weren’t able to catch this guy at the scene," said Commander Mitch Cushman in an email. "Another good example of how citizen and police interaction solves crimes."

Cushman reports that the citizen heard an unusual noise, investigated it and contacted the LPD, who responded to the area of the 900 block of North 10th St. at 1:42 a.m. on Monday morning. Officers then contacted and cited 24-year old Matthew Rothleutner.

Property Destruction (Vandalism) is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than six month and a fine up to $750 is the damaged or destroyed property's value is under $1,000 according to the LPD. It is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten years, a fine up to $10,000, or both if the property damage is over $1,000.