The car parked outside Justin Spitman's house on Wednesday had its tires punctured.

(JESSICA WALLACE / iNFOnews.ca)

A burgundy Chrysler Intrepid sitting in front of Justin Spitman's house on Patricia Avenue was supposed to be returned to his friend fixed. Instead, it will leave in worse shape after being one of 25 vehicles vandalized on the North Shore, Nov. 15.

Spitman returned from work at Highland Valley Copper Mine Wednesday night with two co-workers. The three heavy duty mechanics had been carpooling from Spitman's house for about seven months with no issues before Wednesday night. That's when they found the vehicle Spitman was responsible for fixing had punctured tires.

"We found probably about two to four pinholes in each tire," Spitman said. "Nothing was stolen at all. They just walked by, popped the tires and were gone."

Tyler Steiman, another one of the carpoolers, was also hit. He noticed something was wrong when he started his 2012 Ford F-150 truck that had been parked outside Spitman's house while they were at work.

"I got in my truck and my low pressure sensor said my tires were low," he said. "I've had it for probably about a month," Steiman said. "It has about 2,000 kilometres on it."

Steiman had purchased the set of winter tires a week before.

"I'm covered by insurance. It's a $200 deductible," he said. "There's nothing you can really do about it. You're a little upset, but it's not the first time I've had a vehicle broken into or damage happened."

Spitman was unsure of the costs associated with his friend's vehicle. Steiman said he hopes whoever damaged his brand new truck is caught.

"It kind of seems like it was one of those random acts of vandalism for the sake of vandalism," he said.

Regardless of whether they are caught or not, he said he plans to park somewhere else.

"It leaves a bad taste in your mouth," he said.

Spitman said he has had no problems in the six years he's lived on Patricia Avenue.

Dave Evans, who lives two houses away from Spitman, avoided damages to the two vehicles he had parked in his driveway that evening. He has lived in the area about a year and has had no issues.

"The neighbours are all really good," he said.

The Kamloops RCMP reported damages consisting of small puncture holes to tires and scratched paint surfaces to vehicles on Patricia Avenue, Kemano Street, Regina Avenue and Jasper Avenue late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. Vehicles that were affected appeared to have sustained damages on the side of the vehicle closest to the road. They estimated more than $50,000 in aggregate costs of the damages. after extensive neighbourhood searches between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Thursday morning.

They have yet to find a suspect but are asking anyone with information to contact Crimestoppers at: 1-800-222-8477.

— Jessica Wallace
jwallace@infotelnews.ca
(250)319-7494

News from © iNFOnews, 2012