Bannock County man charged following night of vandalism

INKOM — A man police say damaged numerous mailboxes and at least three vehicles in and around Inkom has been charged with multiple felonies.

Clinton L. Haggard, 30, faces three felony counts of malicious injury to property, along with one misdemeanor charge of the same crime, court records show.

Nov. 23

Bannock County Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of multiple vandalized mailboxes on Honeysuckle Lane around 7:45 a.m., according to an affidavit of probable cause.

While looking in the area for the extent of the vandalism, deputies found a Jeep parked on Highway 91. The Jeep, police reports show, had “extensive damage to every window, the grill, body and taillights.” The radio had also been removed and the dash “torn apart.” Items were “strewn about the vehicle,” leaving the appearance of someone having rummaged through the consoles and compartments.

Deputies then found a Ford truck with similar damage parked on Portneuf Road.

Estimated cost for repairs to the Jeep is $2,500, the affidavit says, with $1,500 in damage done to the Ford.

Additionally, mailboxes belonging to homes on Honeysuckle Lane, Highway 91 and Portneuf Road were damaged. According to the affidavit, the majority of the damage appeared to have been caused by a baseball bat, while other mailboxes appeared to have been driven over by a vehicle.

Approximately 10 hours after deputies first received calls reporting the damaged mailboxes, they received a tip that Haggard and another person were involved.

Nov. 25

Deputies investigating the vandalism received footage from one of the victims, recorded with a security camera on the victim’s home.

The video showed a truck pull up in front of the home and stop before turning around on the victim’s property, backing over the mailbox and driving away.

Deputies went to a home on West Old Highway 91 they believed to be Haggard’s residence. There, they saw a truck that appeared to match the one seen in the security camera footage. The truck had extensive damage throughout the body, the affidavit says.

While examining the truck, officers noted a long-handled hammer in the passenger seat they believed could have been used in the vandalism.

Later the same day, deputies spoke with victims who provided information about items stolen from their mailbox. Deputies also spoke with witnesses who claimed Haggard was the person responsible for the damaged mailboxes and vehicles.

Deputies obtained a warrant to search Haggard’s property.

During the search, deputies found items matching the description of those taken from one of the mailboxes. Nothing else of evidentiary value was found, but the hammer seen inside the truck earlier was taken as evidence.

Nov. 29

Haggard called the lead investigator to say he was willing to come to the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office for questioning. The deputy noted in police reports that Haggard was emotional over the phone.

During questioning, Haggard told the deputy he wanted to tell the truth.

He said he was having a bad night and had been drinking “a lot.” He said he had not been able to see his children and had missed one of the children’s birthdays.

After drinking, Haggard said he got in his truck and drove — he believed, toward Pocatello — around 10 p.m., but stopped on Portneuf Road and took items from mailboxes before smashing the mailboxes.

Then, Haggard reportedly told police, he went to Inkom and kicked over some Christmas decorations. After that, he used a metal baseball bat to “smash” “two or three cars,” he said.

When the deputy told him about the hammer that was seized, Haggard told deputies he didn’t know it had been inside his truck, but insisted the hammer was not used in the vandalism. He said he wasn’t sure where the bat he used went, but believed it was at his home.

The deputy thanked Haggard for his honesty, to which Haggard responded he wanted “to make this right,” adding he would do so “one by one.” He said he would make monthly restitution payments.

Deputies then asked Haggard who was with him. Haggard said he was there to confess and come clean, but refused to identify who was with him at the time of the crimes. After several requests, Haggard finally gave deputies the name of a person who was driving him around the night of the crimes.

Because he spoke honestly with the deputy, the deputy decided not to arrest Haggard, choosing instead to release him with a court summons.

Though Haggard has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

If he is found guilty, Haggard would face up to 16 years in prison.

He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge Scott Axline on Dec. 19.