Kyler Thompson (Photo courtesy of Baxter County Sheriff’s Office)
A Henderson man is accused of vandalizing a local laundromat and car wash. Twenty-two-year-old Kyler Blake Thompson is in the Baxter County Detention Center facing felony counts of commercial burglary and first-degree criminal mischief.
According to the probable cause affidavit, two Baxter County investigators responded May 2 to the laundromat and car wash on Wilderness Point Road in Henderson. Video footage reportedly showed a male entering the business with a roofing hatchet during the early morning hours of the previous day. The surveillance system obtained a clear image of the male as he allegedly damaged the building with the hatchet until he destroyed the camera.
While on the scene, one of the investigators discovered a piece of debris dropped from the laundromat. The debris reportedly indicated the direction of the suspect as he left the business. It led the investigators to a residence a short distance from the laundromat. A male subject was spotted in front of the residence looking similar to the suspect in the surveillance picture.
While questioned, the male reportedly denied knowledge of the incident. An investigator showed him the surveillance photo, the subject stated he didn’t remember committing vandalism and he got intoxicated a couple of days earlier. He also stated he didn’t know where the hatchet came from.
The male, identified as Thompson, was taken into custody and transported to the detention center. The investigators returned to the laundromat area to search for the hatchet. A vehicle from a neighboring residence pulled into the parking lot, and one of its occupants claimed to be one of the original callers to authorities. The witness identified Thompson in the surveillance photo.
Bond for Thompson is set at $15,000. The owner of the laundromat estimated damage to the business between $1,000 and $5,000.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI