Police seek help solving recent spree of vandalism

Across the north metro, a spike of brazen graffiti and vandalism cases in February left residents with a mess to clean up and law enforcement officials with concerns about how to prevent such random crime sprees.

In Coon Rapids, an 18-year-old from Illinois and a 16-year-old from Brooklyn Park admitted to police that they spray-painted homes and cars in a quiet neighborhood.

Three juveniles were caught in Andover after a weekend of throwing snowballs at passing drivers and slashing the tires of about 20 cars.

And after criminals went on a weekend vandalism spree in New Brighton, officials put out a call to the public for help in finding the culprits.

The cases were surprising to local law enforcement officials, who said they rarely see such random, widespread incidents of vandalism, especially in the winter.

They say the incidents aren't related.

However, the events raise questions about how communities should deal with an increase in crimes that, literally, leave their marks on homes and property. "I haven't seen this type of activity," said Anoka County Investigator Scott Knealing, who is handling the Andover case and plans to forward charges against the juveniles involved to the County Attorney's Office.

The graffiti in Coon Rapids was also spread across a neighborhood where the suspects didn't know their victims. Based on the symbols and wording found in the graffiti, police investigators are looking into whether it is gang-related, said Coon Rapids Deputy Chief Tim Snell.

"To tag private residential homes is unusual," Snell said. "And to do it on houses of strangers or people with no gang affiliation seems really unusual."

Snell said the city has seen isolated incidents of gang-related graffiti, but it isn't a growing problem. The adult male and juvenile male involved told police that "they got bored" while attending a family event in the area, but they denied being affiliated with a gang, Coon Rapids officer Troy Kemp said.

Something in common

Though the nature of the cases is different, both the incidents in Andover and Coon Rapids have something in common: a number of victims who might have observed the crimes as they occurred.

"If someone would have reported them throwing snowballs Friday night, maybe [the slashings] would have been prevented," he said. "They went out one night and didn't get caught, so they went out again."

In the Coon Rapids neighborhood hit by graffiti, a witness saw a suspicious car and someone spray-painting a shed, but didn't call police until the next morning. Officials can't arrest people who commit certain unwitnessed misdemeanors, even if they admit to it, Deputy Chief Snell said. Officials are preparing charges in the case.

"There are so many crimes like this that go unsolved," Knealing said. "If this would have happened to one or two vehicles, there's a chance it would have gone unreported or unsolved."

The New Brighton Department of Public Safety announced a $500 reward on Feb. 27 for information leading to the conviction of people who slashed tires, threw bricks at cars, and spray-painted signs and buildings during a weekend vandalism spree on the city's south side. There were no witnesses.

Police officials urge residents to call 911 if they notice something suspicious in their neighborhood, but not to confront criminals.