Suspected vandal injures self, property

PONDERAY — An 18-year-old man is being investigated for underage drinking and vandalism after turning up at Home Depot early Saturday morning partially covered in blood.

People who discovered the man initially thought he had been shot.

"He had his hand up by his belly or chest area and there was a lot of blood, so they thought he had a stomach wound," Ponderay Police Chief Mike Hutter said on Monday.

Law officers and emergency medical service providers descended on the store at about 1:40 a.m. It was later determined the man had a wound to his hand.

Hutter said the man was reportedly attending a party at the Motel 6 along U.S. Highway 95. Police suspect he might have injured his hand breaking a window in an exterior door at the motel. Hutter said one side of the double-pane window was damaged and the man was reportedly very intoxicated.

The incident remained under investigation on Monday and Hutter said he did not have the man's identity at hand. Hutter said the suspect could be ticketed for underage drinking and malicious injury to property.