March 21, 2018  |  03:48 pm

The former owner of a Covington-area pool supply store has been arrested after causing more than $1 million worth of damage to the business last November.

Ron Ulfers (DOB 2/3/1974; 24242 Horsebranch Road, Covington) was arrested March 20 for two counts of LRS 14:56 Criminal Damage over $50,000, two counts of LRS 14:132 Injuring Public Records and one count of LRS 14:67 Theft Between $1,000 and $5,000.

Deputies were dispatched to Clearwater Pool & Spa, located at 4001 Highway 190 East Service Road, in Covington shortly after 6:30 a.m. on November 20, 2017, after Ulfers called to report the business had been broken into and vandalized sometime during the previous night. The building was ransacked, with much of the contents destroyed or heavily damaged.

The case was turned over to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Property Crimes detectives, who have been working the case since November.

On March 20, detectives obtained a warrant for Ulfers’ arrest. He was located that afternoon at the company’s warehouse in Lacombe, taken into custody and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail.

Ulfers was at one time owner of the Covington area business, but had sold the business. At the time of the incident, he was employed only as a consultant.

The investigation is ongoing and additional charges against Ulfers is possible.