Over a dozen vehicles had their tires slashed in a mobile home park in Cobble Hill on New Year’s Day.
For many people living at Burnum Mobile Home Park, Jan. 1 was a day spent loosening lug nuts and replacing slashed tires.
“The mentality that’s required for someone to do — whoever it is — to do something like this,” Nolan Nissen, a park resident, told CHEK News.
“I can’t understand it,” Nissen said, after spending much of Monday afternoon helping an elderly neighbour who had her tires slashed.
Residents believe the spree began around 3 a.m. and say cars, parked in both the park and surrounding area, were hit.
It’s unclear if the vandalism was the work of one person or a group of people, though Shawnigan Lake RCMP have opened a case file and are seeking information.
RCMP tell CHEK News at least 13 vehicles had their tires slashed, but a number of vehicles were gone for the day when officers arrived.
“Initial numbers, from when police attended, showed 13 vehicles with tires slashed but no other apparent damages reported,” said Staff Sgt. Kris Clark, spokesperson for the BC RCMP in an email. “These numbers could change as vehicle owners return home, or discover damages to their vehicles.”
Many residents could replace their tires with a spare, but others had to get their vehicles towed.
It’s a setback residents are calling detrimental, especially for impacted seniors with mobility and financial issues and those who rely on their vehicles to get around.
“In this community, we need to be having vehicles and some kind of transportation because we’re not close to the stores at all,” said Vivianne Grohovac, who, following the overnight incident, won’t have a vehicle for a least a week.
Some believe it was a targeted spree, including Laurie Montandon. A neighbour told her their security camera was disarmed sometime overnight.
“(The vandals) took out the little card, destroyed it, and that’s how (my neighbour) found it,” Montandon said.
Those living in the park described it as a peaceful and quiet place to call home, but now many plan to upgrade their security systems and keep a better eye out for each other.
“Definitely, if we hear something, (we’re going to) set off our car alarms because we got to do something to try and deter these people and protect our properties,” added resident Kelsey Brasseur.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Shawinigan Lake RCMP at 250-743-5514.
Photos courtesy: Laurie Montandon
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story had the number of slashed tires of at least 40. RCMP have since updated only 13 cars have been confirmed to have tires slashed.
Oli Herrera
