Officers in Keene are a bit shaken after they say a local man used an ax to heavily damage their patrol cars overnight.
“It seems like a scene from a movie quite honestly to have an ax coming out of the front windshield of a police car is pretty unnerving,” Lt. Patrick Jones said.
Police arrested Jeassy Bobby Cruz, 31, and charged him with criminal mischief. Cruz is accused of causing approximately $7,000 worth of damage to two patrol vehicles. He is being held at the Johnson County Jail.
“He broke out the windshield into patrol units and dented up to patrol units and knocked the light bars out and shattered some windows,” Jones said. “The officer actually drove up on him while he was in the process of the criminal mischief against the vehicles.”
The Keene Police Department only has five police cars.
"Having these two cars damaged leaves us with one spare car, so it is urgent we get them back in operation as soon as we can," Keene Interim Police Chief Don Beeson told the Cleburne Times Review. "We have two unmarked vehicles and can use them if necessary."
Jones said this is a reminder to officers to stay alert.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“We need to be vigilant as police officers and there are those in the world who don't like police officers, so we have to be very very careful,” Jones said.
This is the third time police have made contact with Cruz in the past 10 days, Beeson said. Police say they came in contact with Cruz when he threw a rock through someone's windshield and when he ordered food at a restaurant and left without paying.
