Hit-and-run suspect faked auto theft to cover up his crime: Cops

A 38-year-old Maricopa man is accused of faking an auto theft to cover up a hit-and-run that seriously damaged another car and a garage door.

Maricopa police in a probable cause statement charged Paul Butler with criminal damage, failure to stop at the scene of crash, failure to provide police information and false reporting.

The arrest charges were filed April 5 after more than three months of investigation of a two-vehicle crash that occurred around 4 a.m. Dec. 23.

It was then officers said they arrived at the North Grantham Road scene to find a victim’s vehicle with extensive damage and pushed into a garage door, causing additional damage to a home.

“In the area of the accident, the suspect vehicle was located with extensive damage to the driver’s side, matching with the damage incurred by the victim’s vehicle,” the report states.

At the crash scene, officers found fresh mud on Butler’s shoe, matching prints in fresh mud near Butler’s abandoned vehicle at the crash scene.

Butler was later in the area getting a ride from a friend.

Police learned the abandoned vehicle at the crash scene was registered to Butler, who police said was impaired at the time of the investigation.

Butler falsely reported his vehicle was stolen at the time of his arrest, police said.

In May last year, Butler was arrested for robbery, threatening, theft, trespassing and disorderly conduct when he swiped vodka bottles from a Circle K store in Maricopa, quipping to the cashier, “What the f*ck are you going to do about it?”

In that case, months also elapsed between the offense and Butler’s arrest.