SANDY, UTAH, Dec. 10, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — An angry auto buyer who was refused a refund for a vehicle he bought at Mazda Southtowne earlier in the day returned with a vengeance late Monday afternoon and smashed his way into the dealership’s showroom.
Video obtained by Gephardt Daily shows the moment the car barreled into the building, at 10785 S. Auto Mall Drive, shattering windows and destroying door frames and furniture while people inside the showroom ran for cover.
After the crash, the driver, identified in court documents as Michael Murray, 35, emerged from the car and said to stunned salespeople, “I told you, huh? I warned you motherf*****rs!”
Murray then stepped outside through the dealership’s smashed doorway before turning and pointing toward the car.
“Is there anyone under there?” he asked.
“No,” replied several people off camera.
“I told you motherf*****rs,” Murray repeated, and then walked back into the parking lot, apparently waiting for Sandy City police to arrive.
According to an affidavit of probable cause statement filed in Salt Lake County Third District Court, “As officers approached, Murray was standing right outside the front door and when asked what was going on he said they sold him a ‘lemon’ and they would not give him his money back for the vehicle that he had bought earlier today, so he drove the vehicle through the front doors.”
The affidavit said Murray had returned to the dealership to request his money back and to return the vehicle, however, staff advised Murray he bought the vehicle “as-is” and it could not be returned in exchange for a refund.
Murray allegedly told the manager since they were “not giving his money back he was going to drive his vehicle through the front doors. Murray then walked out, got into his vehicle… and drove it through the front doors into the building.”
Several salesmen had to jump out of the way in order to avoid being struck, the probable cause statement said.
Murray is being investigated for second-degree felony criminal mischief and two class A misdemeanors, including reckless endangerment and economic interruption/property damage.
