Man arrested after digging cave near I-15 overpass, police say
Sep 10, 2025, 11:06 AM | Updated: Sep 11, 2025, 10:29 am
Police say they arrested a man after finding him in a cave he dug himself along Interstate 15. (UDOT)
(UDOT)
MURRAY — A man was arrested Tuesday after police say he was found inside a cave he had dug near an overpass of Interstate 15.
Troy Coyn Jones, 45, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday for investigation of criminal mischief and trespassing.
“The cave was under an I-15 bridge up against a support beam for the bridge. This is UDOT property which is fenced and has ‘no trespassing’ signs. Jones had excavated around the pole about 9 feet into the ground and then a larger area under ground about 6 by 6 feet,” a police booking affidavit states.
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John Gleason with UDOT explained how digging the large hole and being in the area where it was found is not safe for trespassers.
“The reason you wouldn’t want to go in there is because it’s not a safe situation for folks to be in,” Gleason said. “It’s close to a TRAX line, there’s freeway traffic nearby, it’s close to a bridge…”
Gleason said it’s concerning to UDOT and law enforcement to see people in the area where the cave was dug.
“You never know why somebody is out there digging, it’s just not something that you expect to see, and so it’s concerning and it’s something that we would want to ask people, you know, definitely don’t go out there near the freeway. It’s an area that, really, none of us belong in.”
At this time, Gleason said the reasons for Jones to dig the cave was unknown as of Wednesday.
“All we know is that we want to get that hole repaired and, you know, we’ll have bridge inspectors come out there,” Gleason said. “We don’t anticipate that there’s any safety concerns with any nearby bridges but it’s something we always want to take precautions with.”
“We just want to keep everyone safe and so if you see these ‘no trespassing’ fenced off areas, keep out,” Gleason said. “It’s there for your protection and for the safety of our crews as well.”
Utah Department of Transportation officials estimated the cost to repair the damage caused by the cave would be more than $10,000.
This story may be updated.
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