Finding a rock had smashed through the back window of his truck was not how one Lacombe Park man planned to end his Thanksgiving weekend.
The man, who wishes to remain anonymous in fear of being further victimized, found the damage on Tuesday morning. The alarm on his truck went off around midnight Monday.
“I raced downstairs to shut it off, but any loud vehicle that drives by sets it off so I didn’t think nothin’ of it. Sure enough a rock went through,” he says.
His truck was one of seven vehicles vandalized overnight between 11:30 p.m. and midnight on Monday, Oct. 13 in the neighbourhoods of Lacombe Park, North Ridge and Deer Ridge.
The suspect(s) broke vehicle windows by throwing rocks or using something to project rocks at vehicles, say RCMP. They may have been in a vehicle and travelled through the three neighbourhoods causing damage.
“I guarantee that nobody is driving around by themselves doing this,” says the Lacombe Park resident.
As stated in reports given to RCMP, both a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Ford F150 truck were hit on Lacombe Drive. On Liberton Drive, a Ford Taurus and a Honda CRV were damaged. On Larose Drive, a Dodge Ram truck was hit.
On North Ridge Drive, rocks hit a Mazda S6 and another Ford F150 truck. Also on that same night a Honda Civic parked on Meadowview Drive had the drivers' window broken and a stereo stolen from it.
Between Oct. 14 and 15, someone smashed the back window of a Jeep Grand Cherokee parked on Akins Drive.
All vehicles were parked and unoccupied when they were damaged.
Police have increased patrols in the Akinsdale area after a rash of tire slashings and other vandalism between Sept. 27 and Oct. 5.
The St. Albert RCMP is investigating any connection between the two incidents, says Cpl. Laurel Kading.
Since discovering his truck window smashed, the Lacombe Park man plans to install an alarm and security camera system on his property.
“I want them caught. It’s not about the windshield – $300, big deal – it’s an inconvenience of course, but how many other people got their windows smashed?”
There will be more officers out in Lacombe Park, North Ridge and Deer Ridge, says Kading. Citizen’s Patrol will also be targeting those areas.
“Until people become victims of crime or it comes close to home … (they) aren’t aware that there are existing programs in the city (like this),” says Brian Andersen, president of Citizen’s Patrol St. Albert.
The organization usually gets phone calls from people interested in volunteering following incidents of vandalism, but interest drops off before they become volunteers, explains Andersen.
Citizen’s Patrol is always looking for volunteers, he adds.
Crime Stoppers
If you have any information about this or any crime, call the St. Albert RCMP at 780-458-7700, or if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).<br /><br />Concerned residents can also contact Victim Services at 780-458-4353 to access free support services.
