A man accused of stealing a backhoe at 5 a.m. from a construction site and going on a destructive joyride in North Park appeared before a judge this week.
Liam Quigley, 28, was released on a supervised own-recognizance condition Wednesday. The judge ordered him to wear a GPS monitoring device that also was requested by his attorney, Julie Gibson.
Quigley pleaded not guilty to theft of the backhoe, which was taken from a construction site near University Avenue and Utah Street, and two counts of destruction of public property.
A man was arrested after allegedly driving a stolen backhoe down a street in San Diego, California, on July 26, causing significant damage. pic.twitter.com/o0gnMvhtfb
— KTLA (@KTLA) July 29, 2026
The alleged theft occurred at beginning of the week.
The excavator was a bobcat-type backhoe that eventually stopped at the broken North Park Observatory sign. Damages were estimated at $25,000.
The destruction included five street signs, a streetlight that was knocked over and an overturned planter. The backhoe’s bucket also dragged down University, drawing sparks, as apparently the suspect did not know how to lift it.
City workers, dispatched this week, repaired most of the damage.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Laura Duffy ordered Quigley not to drive unless he is insured and also not to possess property that is not his own.
Guy Gusdagni, the general manager of The Mission restaurant, told NBC 7 he was sipping coffee at 5 a.m. and was startled when he saw and heard the backhoe drive by.
“It was wild. I had to call the police. I had to get somebody out here. I didn’t want anybody getting hurt,” Gusdagni said.
“He had no shirt on. Could be homeless, I’m not sure. Having a good time knocking stuff over,” he added. “I’ve never seen anything like that. That was bizarre.”
The court set an Aug. 11 preliminary hearing.
