Salt Lake man ordered on probation after damaging property to get police attention

SALT LAKE CITY — A man will spend three years on probation after causing significant damage to apartment complexes in an effort to request police help recovering his dog.

Jonah Singer, 30, of Salt Lake City, admitted to taking "a substantial step" towards using fire to damage a livable building by throwing gas around stairwells and intentionally damaging multiple properties on Dec. 26, 2025.

Third District Judge Patricia Kuendig sentenced him on Aug. 4 to one to 15 years in prison for attempted aggravated arson, a second-degree felony, and two terms of zero to five years in prison for two counts of property damage causing a loss of over $1,500 and less than $5,000, a third-degree felony. The judge suspended the prison terms and instead ordered him to serve three years on probation.

She said he would be allowed to return to New Jersey to live during probation, if approved by Adult Probation and Parole, and should continue his medical treatment and medications. If he successfully completes probation, she said she would reduce the severity of his convictions.

Singer told police after his arrest that he had asked another tenant to walk his dog but then feared his dog would not be returned, so he did what he could to get police attention so they could help because he didn't have a phone.

Charging documents said Singer threw rocks through windows of the Citizen West Apartments at 255 N. 500 West and caused damage to the Salt Lake Crossing Apartments at 470 W. 200 North, including to a coffee shop in its lobby.

They allege he damaged three cars, a security fence and three large pane glass windows, in addition to spilling gas from the first to the seventh floor of a stairwell and in the lobby of a complex.

Police said the estimated damage just to the lobby floor was $45,000.

Singer was found screaming from a second-floor balcony and was taken into custody.

Singer pleaded guilty on June 8 as part of a plea deal that dismissed two counts of burglary of a dwelling and two counts of property damage with a loss over $5,000 and one count of property damage causing a loss of between $1,500 and $5,000, second-degree felonies; burglary, a third-degree felony; three additional counts of property damage causing a loss between $1,500 and $5,000, one a second-degree felony and two a class A misdemeanor; two counts of property damage with a loss of between $500 and $1,500, a class A misdemeanor; and assault, a class B misdemeanor.

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