Burglar causes $100,000 in damage to Olympia Veterinary Hospital

Bail was set at $2,500 Thursday for Ariel R. Calabria, a 25-year-old man who was arrested Wednesday morning after he allegedly broke into the Olympia Veterinary Hospital and caused an estimated $100,000 in damage.

The suspect had a blood alcohol content of 0.158 — nearly twice the legal limit for driving. Officers reported that he told them he had been having a bad day and had no purpose in life, according to the Olympia Police Department.

Veterinarian Michael Kiefer, who owns the veterinary hospital, said the damage was so bad that the veterinary hospital had to cancel most of its appointments for Wednesday. Staff spent most of the day cleaning up the mess and picking up broken glass.

“It was a mess,” Kiefer said. “I couldn’t believe how much damage he caused.”

No animals were injured during the break-in, but Kiefer said staff had to throw away hundreds of dollars worth of opened medication, and the veterinary hospital’s $60,000 X-ray machine may have been damaged.

According to court documents, an alarm panel was ripped off the wall, and a light fixture was ripped off of the ceiling.

At a Thursday court hearing, Thurston County Superior Court Judge James Dixon found probable cause for two potential charges: second-degree burglary and first-degree malicious mischief.

Officers responded to a report of a burglary in progress at about 3 a.m. Wednesday and heard glass breaking and things being thrown around inside the building. The suspect, later identified as Calabria, was allegedly breaking windows and throwing items outside.

Tumwater police officers and a Thurston County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit also responded to the scene to help set up a perimeter around the building. Officers made several announcements over a PA system asking Calabria to come out, but he refused, according to Olympia police.

When police went inside, they found a man standing on top of a shelf. He allegedly threatened police and refused to come down. Officers deployed a stun gun and were able to remove the man from the shelf.

Calabria was booked into the Thurston County Jail.

This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 4:11 PM with the headline "Burglar causes $100,000 in damage to Olympia Veterinary Hospital."