COCOA BEACH, Fla. – A handful of vehicles tires were slashed Sunday night in Cocoa Beach in a string of random vandalism, Cocoa Beach police said.
"You feel violated," said Cocoa Beach Mayor Ben Malik, one of the victims. "I mean, somebody comes into your driveway to slash your tires."
Malik said he woke up to police knocking at his door, telling him cars on his street had been vandalized.
"Apparently all three of ours and six other cars down the street," he said.
Police said the tire slashings happened sometime between midnight and 6 a.m. Monday. Neighbors started noticing the damage when they headed out to work.
"This is very bad and they did a lot of damage," resident Debra Kremer said. "They need to be found and prosecuted."
Another neighbor said he walked out to his driveway to six flat tires, including three on one car.
"We're probably looking at a couple hundred dollars damage in just
tire replacement," James Wanwright said. "It's spring break. I guess it's just young guys with nothing better to do at night."
Malik said he and his neighbors can agree on one thing.
"(It) looks like some of us are going to be getting some cameras," he said. "We just don't think that that's the kind of community we live in, but it's just a different world today."
Malik said his side of the street doesn't have street lights. He told News 6 he
will be talking to the city manager to help get more lights on streets in the area in hopes of deterring crimes like these.
Cocoa Beach police said they would be stepping up patrols in the area Monday night.