A sneaky tire-slashing vandal moving under the cover of darkness punctured about 44 vehicle tires along a two-avenue stretch in Queens over the weekend, causing thousands of dollars in damage, police say.
It appears the vandal struck overnight. People who live in the Bayside community that has been targeted by these troublesome sprees awoke outraged Sunday to see flat tires along 42nd and 43rd avenues. They say they've had enough.
So far, no arrests have been made. NYPD officers were going door-to-door Sunday afternoon informing residents of any damage and looking for potential clues that could bring in the person responsible for it.
"It could have happened to my car too, because I do park around here all the time. Thankfully, I parked far beyond this point," one man said.
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One woman says she just had to replace her tires for a second time. She said she had just had her car returned to her Sunday after another incident left her tires slashed.
"I don’t know what to do, I’m paranoid to park it. I bought a warranty on the tires so if it happens again I don't have to pay," she said, noting she was out $1,200 after the second slashing. "I was furious. I really feel unsafe."
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Most car owners in the neighborhood say they don't have garages or other secure places to park. Anyone with information on the tire slashings is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Manhattan had its own tire slasher earlier this year. A man was seen on surveillance video slashing at least 40 tires in one neighborhood. Other tires were slashed in Chelsea hours later. It's not clear if cops thought the same man was behind them.
