Flats! 400 Tires Slashed in Massive Vandalism Caper

Delray Beach residents wake to hundreds of slashed tires

The Grinch got started early this year in two Delray Beach gated communities, after police say over 400 car tires were slashed overnight Tuesday causing tens of thousands of dollars in damages.

The residents of the communities, the Verano at 1805 Palm Cove Blvd. and the Crosswinds at 1850 Homewood Blvd., woke up to find dozens of vehicles vandalized, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

Over 200 tires in each community were punctured with a 1-inch-blade knife or boxcutter, police said. Many cars had two tires slashed, while others had just one or three.

"I've never seen something of this magnitude before," Delray Beach Police spokesman Jeff Messer told WPTV. "People are gong to be spending money on Black Friday for Christmas stuff, and instead now they're going to be replacing cars."

Residents, who began to notice the vandalism around 5:30 a.m., weren't happy, to say the least.

"I can't believe someone would do this," Sarah Cresto, 23, whose black Chevy Cavalier had two slashed tires, told the Sun-Sentinel. "This is crazy, and especially during the holidays."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Delray Beach Police at 561-243-7800 or Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS.

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