Vehicle vandals strike again; windshields kicked in

The Gaffney Police Department is investigating a new wave of vehicle vandalism that counts among its victims a family that has been targeted four times.

The cars of two neighbors on Chandler Drive had their windshields shattered early Jan. 5 and a third vehicle sustained the same type of vandalism Jan. 3 while the car owner was in a West Frederick Street beauty shop.

For one family, the Jan. 5 incident on Chandler Drive was a repeat occurrence, as they've now had four windshields busted out in the past few months. Just this past Friday, Sandra Lipscomb said, her family had the windshield replaced on a vehicle that had been vandalized Dec. 20. Two more of her family's cars had been vandalized during a widespread vandalism spree that plagued Gaffney last September and October.

Her family is just one of several on Chandler Drive that have had to contend with the damage. One of her neighbor's windshields also was smashed Jan. 5, while another neighbor was left picking up broken glass on two vehicles Dec. 20.

Gaffney Police Chief Rick Turner said all of the investigations remain open.

"We're not sure if this (latest string) is going to be a copycat," he said.

Occurring primarily at night during weekends last year, five vehicles were vandalized between Sept. 25 and Sept. 26, nine more were vandalized between Sept. 29 and Sept. 30, and 17 were vandalized between Oct. 4 and Oct. 5.

All of the cars were vandalized the same way. Someone jumped on the hoods of the cars and kicked in the windshields.

Lipscomb said she and her husband are already out of about $600 repairing windshields, only one of which was covered by insurance.

"It's so frustrating to think you're going to get up (in the morning) and not have a way to get to work," she said.

Witnesses have spotted and been able to describe some suspects, but no arrests have yet been made.

The acts of vandalism that happened last September and October occurred in diverse locations including Anthony Street, Chandler Drive, Willow Street, East Frederick Street, Holmes Street, Hampton Avenue, Humphries Street, Adair Lane, Hill Street, South Johnson Street, College Drive, Elmore Street, Hackberry Drive, Settlemeyer Street, East Robinson Street, Sycamore Street, West Buford Street, Vernon Street and New Street.

Including the Dec. 20 and Jan. 5 incidents, at least 37 windshields have been busted out since the vandalism spree began last year.