‘This is concening for us’: Henrico Police investigating string of vandalisms targeting West Broad Street businesses
Nov 18, 2024
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Multiple Henrico County businesses on West Broad Street are now literally picking up the broken pieces of their buildings after a string of vandalisms.
A spokesperson with the Henrico County Police Division told 8News that four businesses on the street were vandalized on Saturday, Nov. 16, with the latest report of vandalism coming in late Monday morning.
As of Nov. 18, wooden boards and bits of shattered glass are the only remnants of the numerous acts of vandalism that allegedly occurred at these Henrico businesses.
Karina Bolster with Henrico Police said investigators believe the incidents happened around midnight on Saturday.
MORE: Businesses damaged by possible BB gun along Broad Street in Henrico County
“We believe that it was done by a pellet gun or a BB gun -- so that's what we're finding very consistent among all of these incidents,” Bolster said. “Windows sustained damage -- some of them may have been completely broken, while others may just have the spider [marks] from windows that were cracked.”
The manager of Firestone Tires said that, when she came in to work and found the two front windows shattered, she was instantly nervous.
No one was hurt during any of the reported incidents of vandalism — but police are still concerned.
“The fact that there were multiple businesses within a small stretch of that corridor is certainly alarming and makes us pause and wonder if they are, in fact, all connected,” Bolster said.
With the holiday season coming into full swing and Thanksgiving on the horizon, officers want everyone to stay alert.
“The time frame of this vandalism spree is concerning for us, which is why we do ask our business partners -- along with our community members -- to really stay vigilant, stay on the lookout for anything suspicious and find ways to prevent the crime from happening in the first place,” Bolster said.
While police are not identifying any of the businesses that were impacted by the vandalism as they are considered victims of a crime, each of these incidents is under investigation.
Bolster said that, when or if the people responsible for these acts are found, they will at least be charged with vandalism. However, she added that other charges are possible.