Berkeley Vandals Slash Tires Of Nearly 50 Vehicles
BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- Vandals slashed the tires on about 50 vehicles on a 17-block stretch of California Street, and several other nearby streets, in Berkeley early Wednesday morning, police said.
Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said police responded after a community member called police around 7 a.m. to report that one of her car's tires had been slashed or punctured.
She said police later received additional reports of flattened tires in a number of South Berkeley neighborhoods.
Tires were slashed on cars, vans and trucks on California Street from 62nd Street to Blake Street, Kusmiss said.
Additional tires were damaged on vehicles in the 1600 block of Julia Street, the 1500 block of Russell Street, and the 2800, 2900, 3000 and 3400 blocks of King Streets, she said.
Kusmiss said it appears that sometime overnight a suspect or suspects used an unknown tool or weapon to flatten the tires.
"There is no specific pattern, aside from the general locations, that any specific type, color, make or model vehicle was the focus of the crimes," she said.
Kusmiss said, "Community members were understandably upset, angered, surprised and frustrated by the discovery of these crimes as it has had and continues to have significant impacts on their lifestyles," such as driving children to school, going to work, and taking family members to appointments.
She said the investigation "is very active and ongoing" and officers are pursuing leads.
Berkeley police have not made any arrests and do not know the motive for slashing the tires, Kusmiss said.
She said community members who may have seen the crimes should call the Berkeley Police Department's non-emergency dispatch line at (510) 981-5900.
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