California Man Charged In Bizarre Sabotage Of CasinoCrimes Left Number Of Visitors With Flat Tires |
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A trip to the Table Mountain Casino in Fresno County, California caused quite a bit of inconvenience for some gamblers recently, and it came with a wild backstory.
Local police reported last week that numerous visitors had their tires flattened over the last few months by a man they allege had been “feuding” with the casino. Officers from the sheriff’s department arrested Matthew Ebner, of Dos Palos, for the crimes.
“During a three-month long investigation, detectives discovered at least 35 vehicle owners experienced flat tires while driving through the parking lots of Table Mountain Casino and on nearby Millerton Road,” the department noted in a news release. “The victims all discovered they had driven over caltrops (homemade metal spikes), which got stuck in their tires. The damages totaled thousands of dollars.”
Casino Sabotage
The bizarre string of crimes came after police say Ebner sought some sort of revenge for a grievance against the casino. Detectives worked with Table Mountain police and identified a pickup truck suspected of being involved in the crimes.
Ebner was found to be the owner and officers served a search warrant at his home in Dos Palos last week. That yielded some evidence in the case, according to the department, including caltrops associated with the reported vandalism.
After being arrested, Ebner now faces numerous charges of vandalism and his bail has been set at $25,000. His exact grudge against the casino isn’t yet known, but Ebner allegedly picked quite a unique way to sabotage the property.
The use of caltrops dates back centuries. The small metal devices have four sharp prongs that can easily do some damage to tires. They are built so that no matter which direction a caltrop falls, one sharp prong aims upward.
These small booby traps have been used for centuries to deter advancing armies and chariots, to pierce auto and airplane tires, and more. Caltrops were used extensively in World War I and II, where they could be spread easily over a wider area. It’s a good bet they’ve rarely been used at a casino, however.
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