Car vandalism runs rampant in Valley

In the past week, cars in Spokane Valley neighborhoods have been damaged by vandals who stole nothing, but left behind piles of broken glass for the vehicles’ owners to clean up.

“They will smash out a window just for the pure joy of it,” said Greg Lloyd while he and his family hauled a Shop-Vac out to their truck.

Its broken windshield was among the damage to eight vehicles reported to police Thursday morning.

The vandalism that occurred on the street in Lloyd’s well-kept, south Valley neighborhood will cost his family $140, he said. Insurance won’t cover it.

Keeping vehicles in driveways and off the street seemed to help after a similar incident a few months ago, Lloyd said. He also thinks motion-sensing lights would deter vandals.

“They’re like roaches, you turn on a light and they want to run,” he said.

Recent thefts of cars, or valuables inside them, haven’t been occurring more than usual, said Spokane Valley police Sgt. Dave Martin.

“It’s almost 100 percent vandalism,” he said. “What we’re seeing a huge increase in, just in the last week, is strictly vandalism without theft.”

Incidents in the past few days could be the work of just a few people, Martin said, but so far no one has spotted a license plate number or offered the names of any possible suspects.

Without any leads, the department won’t investigate individual acts of vandalism.

That’s understandable, said Jan Alexander, who recently had the back window of a car smashed in front of her house in the middle of the night.

“What are they going to do? There’s nothing to investigate,” she said.

Her homeowners association sent an e-mail to neighbors Thursday saying that in the brand-new subdivision at least two cars were targeted Wednesday night, and nearby Porta-Potties and trash cans were tipped over Monday.

“I’m just really glad I have a garage to put my car inside,” Alexander said.