MACOMB TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Police in Macomb County are searching for suspects who are wanted in a string of windshield-smashing incidents in several towns.
According to the Macomb County Sheriff's Office, deputies were notified of multiple incidents of windshield smashing in the areas of 22 Mile and Card and 24 Mile and Hayes roads in Macomb Township.
Shelby Township police say they have also had several incidents of windshield smashing in the area of 24 Mile and Schoenherr roads.
Police say the suspects' vehicle is a newer model white Ford F-150 with black wheels.
“The first thing we thought was well, do we have anyone who would want to do this to us?” wondered Sal Accetta of Macomb Township after finding the windshield of his daughter's friend's car smashed in on the morning of Feb. 10.
He then saw the damage to his neighbors car across the street and knew it must have been random and thankfully, they had surveillance cameras.
"We saw clear as day exactly what happened," Acetta said. "Pretty shocking.”
Unknown at the time, their windshields were just two of the nearly 10 windshields that have been smashed in recently across Macomb Township and Shelby Township. One of the other incidents was in the same neighborhood.
Matthew Schirmer, who lives a few blocks away, also discovered his windshield broken the same morning. Because of the similarities, the sheriff’s department believes all of these cases are connected.
“I was wondering first of all, why? I didn't make anyone mad. There's no reason for that,” Schirmer said. "I work full time, I go to school full time. To be without a car five days, it's a huge inconvenience.”
Schirmer says he had to pay $500 out of pocket to get his windshield fixed. It's money he’s hoping to get back as he and his neighbors hope this spree of vandalism comes to an end.
"Again, why? You're going to hurt yourself. You're going to hurt somebody else doing it. And everyone’s got cameras now — you’re going to get caught," Schirmer said. "That's pretty bold to do something like that.”
“I hope in the end, they stop doing it because it's expensive," Accetta said. "It's a lot of damage.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Gerkey at 586-469-6634 or daniel.gerkey@macombcountymi.gov.
Anyone with information or video of the cases in Shelby Township is asked to contact Detective Gibbs at 586-731-2121, ext. 367 or tgibbs@shelbytwp.org.
