Two men arrested early Saturday in Spearfish were wanted in connection with a vehicle theft in Whitewood and the vandalism of a historic courthouse in Rock Rapids, Iowa.
Brandon Lyle High Pipe, 39, of Rapid City, and Luciano Eliseo Sanchez, 18, of Denver, are accused of breaking into the Lyon County Courthouse overnight Dec. 16–17 and causing extensive damage. According to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, the pair used an explosive device to gain entry, smashed windows and furniture, tossed Christmas trees, and spray‑painted graffiti throughout the building.
Warrants were requested for multiple felonies, including burglary, conspiracy, and first‑degree criminal mischief, as well as misdemeanor charges related to explosives.
South Dakota authorities were alerted and later linked the men to a stolen vehicle in Whitewood. The vehicle was spotted in Spearfish, where High Pipe and Sanchez were arrested near Walmart just after midnight on Dec. 20.
Both were booked into the Lawrence County Jail. High Pipe waived extradition and will return to Iowa; Sanchez did not and was appointed a public defender, with a hearing set for Dec. 29. Both also face fugitive‑from‑justice charges in South Dakota. No charges have yet been filed for the vehicle theft.
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