THUNDER BAY – A number of vehicles in a Northwood neighbourhood were vandalized Wednesday night, spray painted with offensive material.
Kayla Derosier left her house on Ashland Place Thursday morning and found a group of neighbours gathered outside. She went to see what was going on and saw four vehicles tagged with black paint, each with profanity and vulgar words.
She posted of one of the cars on Facebook, which quickly spread and attracted a significant amount of attention.
“I was disgusted,” she said. “To see that happen in a neighbourhood where nothing like that really happens is really disturbing.”
One woman who asked not to be identified had just brought her brand new car home Wednesday, not even owning the vehicle for 24 hours before it was vandalized.
A Thunder Bay Police official confirmed the incidents are being investigated.
Garnet Thurier lives in a home where one the vehicles was targeted with expletives covering the hood and said it was the first time in his eight years of living in the neighbourhood an incident likes this had taken place.
“To be vandalized isn’t a comfortable feeling at all,” he said. “Vandalizing somebody else is just disheartening to me.”
There was one silver lining for Thurier, who took the car to Mascarin Collision and Auto Care Centre to have the spray paint removed when the work was done for free.
“I’m thankful. It’s a Merry Christmas and everything else. It’s even merrier now,” he said. “It was just amazing, the gesture to do something for nothing. Nobody does that anymore.”
As the other owners get their vehicles re-painted, at an estimated cost of at least $600 per vehicle, comfort and security in the neighbourhood have been shaken.
Derosier and another neighbour both said they plan on setting up cameras for driveway surveillance to protect their property as it’s hoped this was an isolated incident, yet there is now some fear.
“It’s unfortunate we’ve had to go to that extreme to do so,” she said.
“If they’re going to go to that extreme and ruin somebody else’s vehicle worth thousands of dollars what else are they going to do? Break into my home while I’m sleeping? I don’t know. I sleep with my doors locked, that’s for sure.”
