Downtown San Marcos businesses targeted by serial vandal
SAN MARCOS, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) - San Marcos police said a vandal has hit three downtown business in the last eight days.
The most recent incident happened Thursday morning at Cafe on the Square, where the man threw a rock through the front window.
“We have one description from bystanders at Cafe on the Square of a Hispanic male, no age range, Hispanic or white male, heavy set, wearing a hoodie and khaki pants. So pretty basic,” said Commander Kelly Bomersbach of the San Marcos Police Department.
The glass broken there Thursday morning is not the first shattered by a large rock in downtown San Marcos. Sean Patrick’s Irish Pub and Texas Grub also found a hole in their front door one week prior.
“Rock came through the window, so glass was everywhere. It was thrown so hard, and it's such a big rock, that it came through the glass window and into one of our big chalkboards that we just recently made,” said Marshall Wyatt Martin, manager at Sean Patrick’s Irish Pub and Texas Grub.
The day after that, a few blocks away, a member of a local radio station was wrapping up his show when he noticed the gaping hole in the front window.
“This wasn't a little rock kicked up by a lawnmower or anything like that, or a rock falling off a truck, this was quite a large, massive piece of stone that was purposely hurled through a window,” said Gene Randall, station manager at KZSM Community Radio.
All three business owners filed a police report. “I don't really know what the motive would be, because the businesses, yes, they're in the downtown area, but they're not really related,” Bomersbach said.
“It's sad really and downtown's a great little spot, and the city's trying to put a lot of money into it to get people down to downtown businesses, and I think some people might be afraid when you've got rock bandits running around,” said Martin.
Still, people in downtown San Marcos worry there could be more shattered glass, before the person responsible is arrested. “I'm a big believer in karma. Whatever happens, eventually they'll pay for it one way or the other,” Randall said.
“I just hope that he stops, if not gets caught,” said Martin.
KZSM Radio, a non-profit, is hoping the community will provide donations to help them replace the glass there.
San Marcos police ask anyone with information to give them a call.