Park City man charged with armed break-in at ski resort facility following RV blaze

Third Judicial District Court District. Photo: Will Scadden // Townlift

PARK CITY — A Summit County man is facing a slate of charges after police say he set fire to his RV, then broke into a Park City Mountain Resort warehouse and fired multiple shots inside.

William Dougherty, 39, was formally charged this week in Summit County’s 3rd District Court with aggravated burglary, two counts of property damage exceeding $5,000, and four other misdemeanors, including reckless burning and theft.

According to charging documents, the incident began Sept. 6 when a Park City resident heard an explosion and saw Dougherty’s RV engulfed in flames outside her home in Silver Creek. She reported seeing him drive away in a truck as neighbors and first responders worked to extinguish the fire.

Later that day, prosecutors say Dougherty forced entry into a Park City Mountain Resort warehouse on Munchkin Road by firing several rounds from a rifle into the door. Security video allegedly shows him continuing to fire shots inside the building, damaging the ceiling and walls, before taking a bottle of bourbon from an office refrigerator and leaving.

In addition to the warehouse damage, estimated at more than $5,000, court documents state Dougherty’s gunfire struck an employee’s truck parked outside, causing more than $9,000 in damage, and hit a bicycle inside the building valued at $1,325.

Park City police located Dougherty at Deer Valley Resort later that day. Officers said they found a loaded AR-15 style rifle and ammunition in his vehicle, consistent with the rounds fired at the warehouse.

The charges against Dougherty include:

• Aggravated burglary (first-degree felony)
• Two counts of property damage over $5,000 (second-degree felonies)
• Property damage $500–$1,499 (class A misdemeanor)
• Reckless burning (class A misdemeanor)
• Theft under $500 (class B misdemeanor)

Editor’s note: This story was updated with additional details about the charges against Dougherty.