Suspect in over $100K of property damage tracked by drone to stack of tires

CASPER, Wyo. — The owner of one of the businesses vandalized in a Christmas morning spree spotted the suspect last Friday morning and alerted police to his presence, leading to a foot chase that ended when the suspect was found hiding in a stack of tires, according to a police affidavit.

Adam Bigham, 34, is suspected in at least 10 instances of vandalism or property destruction between Dec. 19 and Jan. 1, with victims including several businesses and a former girlfriend, according to Casper Police Department Detective Tiffany Elhart’s report.

In one instance, the suspect is seen on surveillance video on Christmas morning disabling the power supply and backup generator at the Casper Children’s Clinic, which destroyed about $100,000 worth of vaccines in a refrigerator.

Bigham is presumed innocent unless proven or pleading guilty. 

Around 8:30 a.m. last Friday, the tipster reported seeing the suspect go into an apartment complex on the 300 block of North Lincoln Street. Police responded and surrounded the building. The suspect left one of the apartments and began to run, jumping several fences and losing his shoes as he ran. The tread pattern on the shoes matched impressions in the snow at one of the property damage scenes two days earlier, the report said.

Police sent up a drone and were able to track the suspect as he ran along the railroad tracks, crossed Interstate 25 and continued east along F street to a tire store. He was allegedly hiding in a stack of tires when Natrona County Sheriff’s Office, Casper Police Department and Wyoming Highway Patrol personnel found and arrested him.

Detective Elhart noted dozens of property damage and graffiti reports over the last several weeks, adding that security footage was still being collected and reviewed.

One victim said she had recently been in a relationship with Bigham. Around 2:30 a.m. New Year’s Day, she reported that someone had thrown a softball-sized rock through her window. Police found rocks lined up in a row on the retaining wall outside and noted a gap in the line, according to the report. 

Several locations, including the Washington Park Bandshell, had been tagged with graffiti reading “Forever” followed by the woman’s name as well. 

At least two other businesses reported graffiti and property damage, with security footage showing the suspect’s activities between midnight and 8 a.m. on Christmas. In one instance, an outside light fixture was found destroyed. In footage from Sage Primary Care on South Conwell Street, the suspect is seen on camera hitting an electrical meter with an unknown object, causing it to spark.

Bigham is formally charged with five counts of felony property destruction, two counts of misdemeanor stalking and single counts of interference and criminal trespass (from the railyard). Bond was set at $10,000 cash only.

Bigham told the court he had no residence or place to get mail. He said he had been in Casper about a year and a half. He said he’d previously lived in northern California, Powell and Montana, where he had a revocation warrant on an original charge of assault on a police officer.