A group of teenagers has just been identified as the most likely culprits behind the widespread auto glass vandalism in Billings, Montana. According to police, they were able to hone in on the suspects due to a tip that led to further developments in their investigation, ending ultimately in them identifying—although they have not released the suspects’ names—a group of teenagers of mixed gender whose ages ranged from 14 to 16.
The auto glass vandalism in the Montana city were serious indeed, with people remarking that it was one of the most costly sprees they had yet seen in the area. Even with other cities in other states experiencing similar runs of vandalism, the Billings one has been especially remarkable, with well over two hundred and possibly even three hundred cars vandalized. This figure was staggering, especially with vandalism in other areas merely being at the 20 to 40 range.
The spree got so bad that it prompted authorities to offer a reward for any tip that would lead to an actual and valid arrest related to the vandalisms, a reward to the tune of $1000. By that time, citizens were understandably worried about their vehicles, regularly checking in with the police department in hopes of finding out that the suspects had been caught. All police had to go on for a while, though, was that the vandals were using the typical implements auto glass vandals do, from BB guns to stones picked up alongside the road.
The only positive outcome of the spree was experienced by the local auto glass repair businesses, as they reported a massive influx of customers as soon as the vandalisms started. With victims in the hundreds, auto glass repair and replacement shops were suddenly choked with customer appointments, with some customers even being booked for the following week due to a packed shop itinerary. According to some local automobile glass technicians, some stores even had to keep longer hours just to keep up with the demand for their services, which kept on going as the vandals continued their mischief. The result, according to the local police, was damage in the $150,000 range—no mean cost indeed.
While the police say that they are confident that they have found the culprits, citizens are asking for more certainty than that, and are asking why no arrests have been made concerning the auto glass vandalism cases, if so. At the very least, the vandalism do seem to have stopped, and police are hopeful that they have caught all the culprits due to that. Locals, however, are still warned to remain wary in order to make sure that their cars are safe, just in case.
