A vandalism spree rocked the sleepy Victoria neighbourhood of Fernwood on Thursday morning after residents woke up to find dozens of vehicles damaged.
“There’s 10 more cars that way and I’ve noticed a few more down the road as I was on a walk, and I thought that’s bizarre,” said resident Amanda, who later found out her own car was keyed and backlights were smashed.
Victoria Police say they received multiple reports of vehicles being vandalized starting around 6 a.m., with damage ranging from scratch marks to smashed windows and lights.
It’s unclear how many cars were targeted, but VicPD estimates that “dozens of vehicles” were damaged along Gladstone Avenue, Stanley Avenue, Chestnut Street, Amphion Street and Florence Street.
“It looked like he had a sort of small knife in his hand,” said Sean Roberts whose security camera showed the man keying his car. “I’m pretty pissed off. This feels like a real violation of our property and just general sense of safety here.”
Oak Bay Police say three cars in their jurisdiction were also damaged in the 2500-block of Florence Street.
One caller said they heard a loud bang around 6:50 a.m. and saw fresh damage to the front and rear lights of their Dodge pickup truck.
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Police are searching for a suspect in the case, who is described as a white man in his mid-20s. He stands six feet tall with a slim build and has brown curly hair. He was wearing a grey jacket and was riding a skateboard at the time.
One caller told Oak Bay Police that they believed the man was carrying a longboard at the time. Robert’s security camera footage confirms this.
VicPD says they searched for the man early Thursday but were unable to locate him.
Autobody shops say fixing a keyed car can be costly depending on how deep the damage is, and how many coats of paint are required to fix it.
“It could be anywhere from 500 to 1,500 per per panel,” said Ryan Atchison, owner of Parker’s Auto Body & Paint.
Atchison says most people go through insurance. If someone has comprehensive coverage, the vandalism is covered, with the deductible depending on what kind of coverage they have.
Anyone with information on the vandalism – or who may have home surveillance video of the incident or suspect – is asked to call the E-Comm Report Desk at 250-995-7654, or contact Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or online.
SEE ALSO: 16 vehicles damaged in Saanich vandalism spree: police
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Adam Chan
Kori Sidaway
