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A man is suspected of at least three hit-and-runs that were followed by an assault early Sunday morning in Salt Lake County, according to Unified Police Lt. Lex Bell.
The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Phillip Deluca, allegedly caused "hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of damage," Bell said.
Deluca was described as a "dangerous character," by Utah County Sgt. Spencer Cannon, who had cited him Saturday for possession of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia.
Unified police received reports at about 1:20 a.m. Sunday of three consecutive hit-and-run crashes in White City, an unincorporated area under Sandy City jurisdiction, Bell said.
The same blue truck — which Deluca is suspected to have been driving — had reportedly backed into two cars and the front porch of a home near 1000 East and Silica Drive at the first location, one car in front of a different house near 9600 South and Poppy Lane at the second location, and a tree at 1100 E. Galena Drive at the third location, Bell said.
A homeowner at the first house was hit by debris from the truck crashing into the porch after he had come outside in response to noise from the car crash. Because of the crash's impact, a wall in the house moved a couch where a child lay, but no one was hurt, Bell said.
Deluca is also suspected of heading to Cottonwood Heights and ramming into a building and two radar speed trailers at a Unified police substation near 2700 East and 7480 South and the front door of a lift house near 3700 East and Fort Union Boulevard. Cottonwood Heights police Sgt. Scott Ricks said he was "pretty confident" the same suspect was responsible for both crashes, but the case was still under investigation.
The damage at the Unified police substation was likely more than $100,000 alone, Bell said.
Bell said evidence at the substation matches that of the other crashes where the suspect left behind tools from a landscaping business.
The truck was found abandoned by a Utah Highway Patrol officer near the east Belt Route of Interstate 215 some time after the crashes, Bell said.
About an hour later, at 3:20 a.m., Deluca reportedly broke into a business associate's house in Millcreek, near 4260 South and Zarahemla Drive, according to Bell. With a blunt object, Deluca allegedly began assaulting his business partner, whom he had found asleep, but family members in the home fought back and "ended up beating the tar out of" him, Bell said.
Deluca was in a hospital Sunday with multiple facial fractures. He was booked into jail Monday night on charges of aggravated burglary and aggravated assault.
Unified police anticipate "many more charges will be added" as the investigation moves forward.