Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Sam Penrod ReportingTwo young men are in jail, accused of going on a vandalism spree with a shotgun in an Orem neighborhood. This is the story of neighbors watching out for each other, good police work and two stupid vandals.
LuAnn Lambert was awakened by a knock at her door early this morning, as police came to tell her someone had shot the windshield out of her 1984 Buick.
LuAnn Lambert, Vandalism Victim: "I am grateful they didn't shoot the house or my newer car. I would have been very upset if that had happened."
Tammie Peavler, Neighbor: "About a quarter to 3:00, we are jolted out of bed, basically with shotguns, two gun shots."
Lambert's neighbor called police to report the shots fired. Two Orem officers arrived and surveyed the damage. But a veteran officer who is training a new one felt they had a chance of catching the suspects.
Lt. Doug Edwards, Orem Dept of Public Safety: "He told his rookie officer we may be here two hours, but these guys are going to come back. They ended up waiting 30 minutes before the car pulled across the lanes of traffic, pulled right up in front of this car, hit the high beams so they could inspect a little closer what they'd done."
Police arrested two suspects, 19-year old Gregory Sonneberg and his 20-year old brother James. Officers recovered a 20 gauge shotgun, which matched the casing left at the shooting.
Tammie Peavler, Neighbor: "I hope the kids realize what they've done, the vandalism doesn't pay. I mean people are hurt so much by it. Even if no one is physically hurt by it, they are hurt monetarily, as well as, I was scared to death all night and it wasn't even my car."
LuAnn Lambert, Vandalism Victim: "I think that is what we as a community need to do, we need to be more aware and alert. And when we see something, we need to take action."
This time it was a great effort from neighbors and police to fight crime in their own neighborhood.
Police say the vandals also shot another car a few blocks away. They also found one of the men had a stolen checkbook.
