CdA Police: Vehicle vandalism suspect caught on video

A Coeur d’Alene man has been captured on video vandalizing cars that park in front of his downtown home, police said. Dean G. Morra, 55, of 802 E. Front Ave., was arrested on suspicion of felony malicious injury to property and taken to the Kootenai County Jail, a news release from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department said. Police learned of the crime from a woman who said she parked in front of the home on Nov. 15 and returned to find her car windows covered with a filmy substance and the passenger side keyed. Washing the car did not remove the substance, the release said. The woman told police she believed the man who lived at the home, later identified as Morra, was responsible. The woman works in a downtown business and said Morra had come into the business to say he doesn’t want anyone parking in front of his house. She said Morra was known to make verbal threats about damaging cars, the release said. The woman provided officers with the names of more than 10 other people who had had run-ins with Morra. On Nov. 26, police parked an unmarked city vehicle in front of the home and monitored it with video surveillance. Detectives returned to discover the car covered with a filmy substance and with fresh scratches on the driver’s side and hood. The woman from the previous report also had parked there again and found her car covered with the filmy substance again, later determined to be WD-40. Morra was visible on the video damaging the cars, the release said. An estimate from a local body shop said the damages totaled $1,349. When detectives contacted Morra, he initially denied damaging the cars until presented with the video surveillance. He admitted to the vandalism, claiming to be angry at anyone who parked in front of his house, the release said.