OREM, Utah, Oct. 31, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A Salt Lake City man was arrested in Orem Sunday on suspicion of burglary of a dwelling and impersonation of an officer.
An additional charge of criminal mischief was filed Monday.
Oscar Kolob Garcia-Castorena, 44, faces the second-degree felony and class B misdemeanor charges in connection with a Sunday incident, according to a probable cause statement filed by an officer of the Orem Police Department.
At about 6:12 p.m. Sunday, Garcia “was captured on a residential surveillance camera system, following a male adult homeowner and several juveniles across a lawn and into a house not his own,” the probable cause statement says.
“After the homeowner entered the house and closed the door behind him, Oscar physically opened an outer storm door and inner residential door and stepped across the threshold before the homeowner stepped in front of him and physically stopped him.
“The surveillance camera recorded Oscar telling the homeowner multiple times he was a ‘Provo Police Officer’ while attempting to further enter the residence.”
Garcia also “made multiple statements threatening physical harm to the homeowner,” the statement says. “During this exchange, there were approximately 20 juveniles in the front room (adjacent to the front door) of the home attending a party.
“The homeowner can be heard on the recording asking Oscar to leave because he was scaring the guests, and Oscar replied, ‘Are you scared? Are you scared, too?”
Garcia was arrested shortly after the incident, on the same street, on DUI charges, the statement says. Those charges do not yet appear in court records.
“Oscar was also the suspect in several suspicious person reports throughout the day where he was attempting to lure young women into his vehicle.”
Garcia was also charged Monday by Orem police with criminal mischief — intentional damage/deface/destroy property, a third-degree felony, after allegedly slashing 18 vehicle tires on 17 vehicles owned by 12 victims.
Damage from the Friday night-Saturday morning criminal mischief incident is estimated at $2,600.
Garcia was ordered held in the Utah County jail without bail for the Sunday case.
