A shocking number of cars at a parking lot were vandalized after a man threw brick after brick at their windshields. Police in Virginia say that nearly 90 vehicles were impacted, leaving a trail of broken glass and shattered windows. While officers was able to find and take the suspect into custody, it’s surprising that the man managed to hurl bricks at the vehicles for such a long time before somebody noticed.
Car owner wishes that surveillance at the parking lot was better
On the morning of September 1, unhoused 33-year-old Tyler Holtrust was arrested by officers from the Richmond Police Department after he smashed the windshields of about 81 cars in a parking lot near Main Street Station, according to reports from local outlets 12 On Your Side and WTVR.
Video of the damage shows the extent of the vandalism. Vehicle after vehicle had their windshields smashed, some multiple times, with the cracks showing where the bricks hit the glass.
The majority of the cars that were damaged were owned by workers at VCU Medical Center. One such worker, Laura Lee, said, “It’s just a headache to have to deal with it, but I’m just thankful that no one got hurt.”
Still, many of the affected car owners were frustrated that they were not told about the incident in a timely fashion. Lee said she was surprised that something like this could happen in the first place.
“I wish that the surveillance here was a little bit better,” she said. “I think 100 vehicles is kind of a lot to get vandalized without anyone catching it.”
That said, somebody must have noticed eventually, because when officers arrived on the scene, they caught the man red-handed.
“Yesterday as officers arrived to the scene he had a brick in his hand, which he then dropped as officers approached him,” RPD said in a statement. “That most likely was what was used to cause the damage.”
On Wednesday, police confirmed that they had placed Holtrust under arrest, charging him with one count of felony destruction of property and eight counts of misdemeanor destruction of property. Additional charges are pending.
