VIDEO: Suspects seen slashing tires in Austin neighborhood
AUSTIN, Texas - Footage captured on a Ring camera in a Goodnight Ranch neighborhood showed a suspect dressed in black gesture at the camera, stab the back tire of one car, stab the back tire of another car, looked back at the camera and ran off.
"Of the three cars that we have, all three were impacted and actually had slash marks from knives to those tires, and then I realized that both my neighbors on each side of me had their cars impacted and that it was just a much larger impact to the community than just myself," says the tire slashing victim.
The victim told FOX 7 Austin the surveillance video is from his neighbor’s home, and he is one of dozens impacted in the tire slashing spree in the early morning hours of Friday, April 5.
"I really don't know what the gain was outside of inconveniencing everyone in the neighborhood," he said.
According to him, there were nearly 20 to 30 tires slashed and residents believe it was more than one person.
"Why was this something that was a target? Now, if it was one individual person, then clearly you could probably understand that there was probably a motive behind it, but with this being close to 20-30 vehicles and us clearly not knowing anyone that we saw on the camera and them not knowing us, we really can't put a finger on what the reason would be behind something like that," he said.
In another video, the suspect reached up and snatched a camera, while a second person pulled on a locked car door handle at a home across the streets, he said.
"Maybe they were just so frustrated that we finally locked all of our cars in the neighborhood, and they were out not getting anything for their actions," he said.
He says the knife-wielding tire slashers cost the community thousands of dollars.
"If you look at just the average cost for us, which was between $250 to $300, then multiply that over the amount of 20 to 25 vehicles or more and then add on top of that the people that had their cameras ripped off their house, their personal property damage," he said.
Residents say they have filed reports with the Austin Police Department and are meeting to find out the necessary steps to increase security in the area.
The victim told FOX 7 Austin a message for the suspects.
"Eventually, your actions will catch up to you. Whether it is today or tomorrow or years in the future, you know all of these things where you are doing things to other people who don't necessarily deserve these types of occurrences, it will catch up to them," he said.