A string of vandalism in North Arlington has neighbors fed up and looking for more help from police. Several cars and at least one house were hit by what appears to be BB guns. Neighbors say it’s a sign of a much larger problem.
This is not the first time something like this has happened on Holt Road in North Arlington. Several months back, someone shot through the window of another house up the street. That time, the bullet lodged in a mattress inside. Now neighbors are calling on police to act before someone gets hurt.
Jim Walton has been sitting on his front porch on Holt Road for 30 years. But now he and his wife are preparing to move. Too much has changed, he says, in what was once one of Arlington's finest neighborhoods.
"The house next door to us is vacant, a number of houses down the street are vacant," Walton said.
Many longtime homeowners have given way to short-term rentals and at the same time, he's watched crime in the neighborhood rise.
"Petty larceny, petty theft, damaged windows, to murder, and everything in between," said Walton.
Then Tuesday morning, he woke up to find himself a crime victim.
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"Our windows on both vehicles are broken, damaged, it appears they were shot out with a BB gun," said Walton.
Repair crews quickly replaced the glass, finding plenty of work up and down the street, where at least three other cars were hit. Plus one home's front door was shattered and another small hole pierced through a bay window.
Walton is out a thousand dollars in repairs and frustrated to new heights.
"I really feel like the city doesn't put as much effort into maintaining this area as they should," Walton said, adding that finding the vandals responsible would be a good start.
"When are you going to pay for the damage that you caused?” Walton said. “You can pay me or pay the community by spending some time in jail or doing community service but you need to be responsible for the acts that you commit."
Arlington police say they had several reports of damage that they're considering criminal mischief and are actively investigating all leads.
They're checking for any home surveillance videos and stepping up patrols in the area for now. Anyone with information should call Arlington police at 817-459-5700.
