CAVE CREEK – On Sept. 4, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Solum was dispatched to the still under construction Buffalo Chip Saloon in response to a call that Collin “T.C.” Thorstenson and Hollie Butler were seen carving their name and initials into the new wooden bar top.
Buffalo Chip owner Larry Wendt said he was at the movies when he received a call from his bartender that Thorstenson and Butler had just damaged the surface of the new wooden bar and returned to the bar to await the arrival of MCSO.
According to Wendt, it will cost an estimated $1,500 to $2,000 to repair since it would require replacing the entire section of wood.
The bartender, Madison Cerro said she was behind the outdoor bar when she was approached by a man and woman she didn’t know.
Cerro told Solum the couple didn’t wish to purchase anything and seemed to be trying to distract her during the time the criminal damage was occurring.
However, Cerro said she didn’t witness the damage since she was working the bar outside.
Solum subsequently interviewed manager Scott Browning who said he’d seen Thorstenson and Butler walking around the area of the bar still under construction so he went over to talk to them and give them a tour.
After giving them a tour, Browning said he returned to the outdoor bar area where he was subsequently approached by a customer, Zach Waldron, who told Browning a woman was carving something into the new bar.
Browning said he looked over toward the under construction area of the bar and saw Thorstenson and Butler exit the new bar area.
Browning said he followed them out of the bar grounds and watched them walk east on Cave Creek Road.
Waldron also made a written statement of what he witnessed and left it with Browning.
After observing the carvings in the bar consisting of two hearts, the initials “T.C.” and “Hollie,” Solum took digital photos that were placed into evidence.
Solum proceeded next door to Harold’s where he was able to interview Waldron.
Waldron told Solum he saw the couple standing alone inside the new main bar area at around 5:25 p.m. and noticed the female had about a seven-inch long red and black box cutter in her hand and was carving something into the bar.
When the couple noticed Waldron was looking at them, Waldron said the woman pulled the box cutter from the bar top and hid it below the bar where he couldn’t see it.
Waldron said after the couple walked away he told Cerro and Browning what he saw and described who he saw doing it.
Browning and Cerro confirmed to Waldron the male was Thorstenson but couldn’t recall the woman’s name.
Solum reported he was unable to make contact with Thorstenson at his residence and left a card for Thorstenson to contact him.
He also was unable to obtain any contact information for “Hollie.”
The investigation was assigned to MCSO Detective T.J. Ward, who was looking for the identity of “Hollie.”
Ward looked up Thorstenson’s Facebook page and found a link for Hollie Butler, which took him to her Facebook page.
In the “About” section it states she is in a relationship with Thorstenson and in a post dated Sept. 2, 2016, it states their status is now “Engaged.”
Ward was able to make contact with Butler, who agreed to meet him at the District IV Station on Sept. 9.
Butler told Ward they parked at the Buffalo Chip on Sept. 4 before heading to Harold’s for an event and she and Thorstenson went to the Buffalo Chip after the event to have a drink.
She said they were escorted around the new bar by Browning but claimed they were never left alone in the new bar.
When confronted with pictures of the carvings in the bar, Butler denied causing the damage and blamed it on someone working for Wendt, whom she said doesn’t like Thorstenson, stating the two have an ongoing feud.
Ward provided Butler with a citation for violation of A.R.S. § 13-1602(A)(1) Criminal Damage – Deface Property,
Butler signed the citation with a promise to appear at the Carefree/Cave Creek Consolidated Municipal Court at 9 a.m. on Oct. 5 for arraignment.
Criminal damage can be either a felony or misdemeanor, depending on the amount of the property damage.
Criminal damage is a class 1 misdemeanor if property damage is more than $250 but less than $1,000.
Criminal damage of $1,000 or more but less than $2,000 is a class 6 felony.
For damage of $2,000 or more but less than $10,000 is a class 5 felony.
The breadth of the charges against Butler will be determined once the estimate to repair the damage is submitted.
No charges were filed against Thorstenson.
