Brake lines cut on 33 vehicles in neighborhood, WA cops say. Police seek suspect
At least 33 vehicles had their brake lines slashed over three days in a Washington neighborhood and police are looking for the vandal who clipped them.
Police have not received any reports of injuries or accidents in connection with the vandalism, Sgt. David Mohr of the Des Moines Police Department told McClatchy News in a phone interview.
A lone suspect is behind the vandalism, police said, and it’s unclear why he has targeted the Des Moines neighborhood, KING reported.
Surveillance cameras in the neighborhood captured a man cutting brake lines, sometimes taking less than a minute, according to KOMO.
“When you watch the videos, you can see that it takes him very little time to cause the damage to these vehicles,” Mohr told KING.
Some surveillance footage showed the suspect passing by several cars before stopping to choose the next target, according to KOMO.
“It seems like he was on foot going house to house within the community, which is absolutely crazy,” Tammy Do, whose mother is a resident of the targeted neighborhood and a victim of the vandalism, told KCPQ.
“In the time that I’ve been here, I’ve never seen a series like this before,” Mohr told McClatchy News.
Larry Bishop, owner of D&D Brakes in Seattle, said it won’t be hard to tell if something is amiss with a car’s brake system. Once the line is cut, the brakes lose pressure and fluid, which are two components that are necessary for proper functioning, Bishop told McClatchy News during a phone interview.
The brakes won’t stop working immediately. After a brake line is cut, it takes about 30 pumps of the brakes before they stop working, Bishop said. Anyone who suspects their brakes may have been tampered with should not drive their car or try to remedy the problem by simply adding brake fluid, according to Bishop. The vehicle should be towed to a mechanic.
People are asked to call the Des Moines Police Department if they see any suspicious activity or have any information about the incidents: 206-878-3301.
Des Moines is located on the east shore of Puget Sound, two miles south of Seattle-Tacoma Airport.
This story was originally published February 25, 2021 at 1:54 PM with the headline "Brake lines cut on 33 vehicles in neighborhood, WA cops say. Police seek suspect."