Another Tire Slashing Spree In Palm Springs

Another tire slasher is on the loose in the Coachella Valley. A Palm Springs neighborhood was hit with around 20 vehicles vandalized. It happened sometime between 11 pm Saturday night and 6:30 am Sunday morning, on the 600 and 700 blocks of South Riverside Drive, according to Palm Springs Police Sgt. Melissa Desmarais.

“I thought it was a shame,” said Gary Powell, who had a tire on his Honda Odyssey slashed during the spree.

Plenty of cars could be seen with spare tires. Some neighbors called in local tow trucks to help with the repairs. Neighbors said the slashings appear to be random. Some vehicles had one slashed tire. Others all four punctured, and some didn’t have any damage. This isn’t the first slashing spree in the city. In March it happened to the tires on more than 30 vehicles off Indian Canyon Drive. Police arrested two men in connection with those crimes. According to Desmarias, officer are looking to see if the crimes are connected.

“It doesn’t make any sense. I don’t know what thrill you’d get from doing this,” said neighbor David Herholz.

The vandalism forced victims to spend hundreds of dollars on new sets of tires.

“That tire itself is probably 150 so two of them is several hundred,” said Powell.

Many neighbors like Powell said the crimes are inconvenient but could have been worse.

“My camera and wallet and everything was in the car I saw it last night by mistake, so it’s a good thing they didn’t get in the car,” said Herholz.

But it’s the last thing Joe Vargas needed, especially as the holidays approach.

“That’s money we can’t just give away like that unexpectedly. That’s money that should be going to other happy endeavors,” said Vargas, a father of four children.

Palm Springs Police are still looking for information on the crimes. You can contact them at 760-323-8115 or contact Valley Crimestoppers at 760-341-STOP.