By Meg Peters
Review Staff Writer?
??’A $1,000 reward is being offered to any individual who can help the Lake Orion Police Department locate those responsible for damaging eight vehicles at the Paint Creek Village Apartments on Orion Road Saturday, April 5.
??’Between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. that morning, unknown person(s) trespassed into the apartment parking lot, hiding under carports and severely ruined the exteriors of many of the vehicles, Chief Jerry Narsh said, some which will require a completely new paint job.
???’There’s no real purpose. It’s not like this was a payback of a hostility, it appears at this time to be a completely random act’of maliciousness, to random people and random cars,? Chief Narsh said.
??’The type of tool is unknown, but could be a screwdriver or key, Chief Narsh continued, ‘sharp enough to damage down to the paint base layer.?
??’The suspect(s) also left behind some interesting symbols. A star symbol was carved into many of the vehicles? side panels and trunks, along with side swipes and other scribbles.
???’We believe that whoever did this uses that symbol often enough on other things, and someone is going to recognize that and know it as a certain tagger or individual’s ID,? Chief Narsh said.??
??’The same symbol might have been used in another recent act of vandalism at a household close to the Paint Creek Apartments, Chief Narsh said, but didn’t have any more details at the time.
??’Apartment manager Tammy Ries said one of the apartment tenants first heard the parking lot noises around 2 a.m., and multiple tenants have come forward with their accounts.
???’A 75-year-old lady has ‘we will be back? carved into the hood of her car,? Reis said. ‘Lake Orion is a small town, so when something like this happens, it hurts,? Ries said.
??’The police are working with Ries and the apartment owners to install a more aggressive security atmosphere to the parking lot, including additional ‘no trespassing signage? and possibly a video surveillance system. Chief Narsh said LOPD would be patrolling the area more frequently as well, and is??’very grateful the apartment owners agreed to supply the $1,000 reward.
??’Another tenant, who preferred only to reveal her first name June, said she and her husband walked into the parking lot later’Saturday’morning in shock.
???’We walked up and saw my car was scratched to hell. It looked horrible and we freaked out,? she said. ‘I think it’s a bunch of hoodlum kids running around who think it’s funny. I just want them (the suspects) to know that when they grow up and have nice things, they are going to have to understand what it’s like to pay for something like this,? June said.
??’Although she feels better the apartments are tightening up on surveillance and the police department will be patrolling more often, June said she would still have to spend at least $500 to repaint her car, which got the worst of it, she said.
??’Contact the police department with any information regarding the identity of the suspect, or information regarding the star symbol by calling the LOPD at?248-693-8321.