MISSOURI CITY, Texas – A vandal armed with rocks left a trail of destruction across a Missouri City neighborhood this week.
At least six cars in the Colony Crossing neighborhood had their windows smashed, and at least one had a tire slashed.
Missouri City Police say they’re investigating three cases and have reports of approximately half a dozen targeted.
The vandalism spree, occurring just off Beltway 8, began on Oct. 11 and continued over several days, with incidents reported throughout the week, according to Missouri City Police Detective Michael Medina.
“At this time, more than likely, yes,” Medina said when asked if investigators believe the same person is responsible for all incidents.
Only three of the six victims have filed official police reports.
The first victim, Shahla Shahnawaz, discovered her car severely damaged on Sunday morning, Oct. 12.
“I just came and I’m like, ‘What’s these white dots on my car?’ I opened it and I saw all these. I was like, ‘Wait, what just happened to my car?’” Shahnawaz said.
Someone threw a rock at her windshield numerous times. It appears they also tried smashing in her driver’s side front window, too.
Two days later, more residents fell victim to the vandal.
Cynthia Guiton was awakened by police at 8 a.m. Tuesday to discover her car’s back windshield completely destroyed.
“Completely shattered. Glass everywhere, all on the ground,” Guiton described.
The rock used in the attack was found inside her trunk. The incident cost her $500 in out-of-pocket repairs.
“That’s groceries, that’s gas, that’s a light bill, that’s utilities, that’s food,” she added.
Detective Medina confirmed investigators are focusing on surveillance footage that captured a suspect wearing reflective pants and carrying rocks in the neighborhood around 2 a.m.
“They’re picking up landscaping rocks from a residence, whether in the neighborhood and or they’re bringing it from wherever they reside,” Medina said.
Unlike typical vehicle break-ins, nothing was stolen from any of the damaged cars, even when valuable items were visible inside.
“My Ray-Bans were in the car,” Shahnawaz noted, adding that another victim had a visible wallet that wasn’t touched. “We have never had any incidents. This is the first,” Guiton said. “We felt very safe in our community, and now we don’t feel that way.”
See Something, Say Something
Detectives are asking residents with surveillance cameras to check footage between 1:30 and 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 14.
The department is working to piece together an exact timeline and obtain a license plate number for a vehicle of interest.
Depending on the total cost of damages, the suspect could face felony charges.
Don’t Become A Victim
Police recommend several preventive measures for residents:
- Park vehicles in garages when possible
- Install and maintain operational security cameras
- Add bright exterior lighting to deter criminals
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact the Missouri City Police Department.