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Sandra Yi ReportingVandals have struck again in the Avenues as more cars were found Saturday morning with their windows shattered. Police say as many as fifty cars may have been vandalized in that area since Wednesday night.
Karen Terry/Avenues Resident: "I guess it's like anywhere. You're going to have times where things happen and times where things don't. Right now, it's happening here."
So far there are no clues as to who's behind all of it. Police are still looking for suspects, but it appears right now this may have been the work of kids.
Avenues residents woke up this morning to see more cars vandalized. The vandals shattered driver side windows of cars parked along Second Avenue.
Lt. Rusty Isakson/Salt Lake City Police Dept.: "It's unusual, yes -- quite surprising and disappointing as well."
Police say the culprits in this case may be kids or copycats. Just two days ago at least twenty cars in the same area were randomly hit leaving owners to pick up the pieces.
Andrea Walcher/Car Vandalized: "Very frustrating. It's obviously, I feel violated and I feel mad because now it's going to cost money to get it fixed. And what was the point?"
Lt. Rusty Isakson/Salt Lake City Police Dept.: "The people who are doing this, they just don't realize the cost and pride people take in their community and they up doing this without any regard to the persons who put so much love and dedication to the area."
But this area may be an easy target. Police say criminals can hide behind trees, shrubs and in dark areas. Also, there is little parking there which forces residents to keep their cars out on the street.
Karen Terry/Avenues Resident: "People drive through here on their way to a lot of places and so, yeah, I would assume they see opportunities sitting there and take them."
But many residents are now on alert with a string of unsolved cat mutilations and now car vandalisms.
Karen Terry/Avenues Resident: "You just know that there's things happen here off and on. You hear about them all the time, so we're just extra careful."
Police say crimes like this are hard to solve unless the suspects are caught in the act. So they say residents need to protect themselves by cutting back trees and parking cars in a lighted area. Police also recommend people contact their community action team to learn how to lower their risk of crime.
