“It looked like someone had a couple of cans of spray paint, and they were just walking down the street spraying cars with them,” said Japa Castro, who lives on Third Avenue South in Columbus.
Castro”s pickup truck, along with at least a dozen other vehicles between Third Avenue South and Seventh Avenue South, and running east to west, between First Street and 11th Street were marked, with black and orange spray paint late Saturday night, according to Columbus Police and local residents.
One resident of an apartment building on Third Avenue South was relieved that she parked on Eighth Street South Saturday night, instead of in her normal parking place on Third Avenue, where two of her neighbors” cars, including one government vehicle, were vandalized.
“Normally I park right there (on Third Avenue South) and that”s scary,” said LeAndrea Pogue. “I wonder how people could not notice someone doing that. I thought my neighbors were pretty vigilant.”
No one reported witnessing the vandalism, said Columbus Police Department Cpl. Donnie Elkin. People began reporting damage to their vehicles around midnight, he said.
Janie Shields — whose green Mazda now has a long orange line spanning the driver”s side of the car — had been in her apartment since the beginning of the weekend after getting her wisdom teeth removed. She said she was not amused by the caper.
“My husband”s in Iraq; he”s going to flip. It”s like his favorite car,” Shields said, noting she “always see(s) kids walking up and down from the bars downtown.”
Danette Starks, who lives a few blocks down from Shields, was spared from any damage to her family”s vehicles, which also were parked on the road.
“There are a lot of people that will walk around late at night in this area,” said Starks. “You”ll see a group of people, college-age, guys and girls, walking into town and then later you”ll see them walk back. It”s pretty normal.”
Japa and Alicia Castro, whose gray pickup truck and black sedan were both parked on Third Avenue Saturday night, blame the poor lighting for the vandals” easy access.
“They only got my truck; they skipped hers,” said Japa Casto. “But we need better lighting on this street; you couldn”t see anyone walking down here even if you were looking.”
Elkin believes even better lighting wouldn”t have deterred the car tagging.
“Usually when we get stuff like that, these guys are going to do it whether the street is lit or not,” he said.
Police are working to identify the taggers, Elkin added. Several cars were found with the letters “BCB” on them; police are working from that.
Two cars belonging to Dispatch Publisher Birney Imes were marked — his daughter”s car and a van — both of which were parked on Third Avenue South.
His wife”s Mini Cooper, which was in the driveway, just a few feet off the road, was spared.
Imes said he was able to remove the paint with nail polish remover.
Reports have been filed on most of the tagged vehicles; for information, contact the Columbus Police Department.
The CPD this morning had no new leads on the incident; once caught, the vandals could face up to a year in prison.
REPORT VANDALISM
· Columbus Police Department: 662-244-3552
· Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers: 1-800-530-7151
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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