Tires slashed on dozens of cars at senior complex in Alta Loma, woman in custody

ALTA LOMA, Calif. (KABC) -- A woman was in custody after tires were slashed on dozens of vehicles parked at a senior living apartment complex in Alta Loma, authorities said.

The vandalism spree left residents of the complex - many of them living on fixed incomes - shocked and trying to figure out how they'll pay to repair the damage.

Many seniors in Heritage Park Alta Loma 55+ complex woke up Wednesday and found the tires on their cars had been flattened. Estimates from residents were that 50 to 60 cars had been hit - in some cases with all four tires punctured.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department confirmed its Rancho Cucamonga station is handling the incident and a female suspect was in custody, but no further details were provided.

Tow trucks and local tire shops were busy dealing with the aftermath. Residents said one of the vehicle owners suffered a medical emergency and was transported by paramedics after seeing the damage to his vehicle and realizing he could not afford to fix it.

Those who were hit estimated it would cost them anywhere from $350 to as much as $1,000 per vehicle to replace, depending on how many tires they lost.

"Now all these people gotta worry about buying new tires for their car," said resident Andre Ford. "Most of the time we don't have enough money to take care of ourselves."

Neighbors say Heritage Park charges extra for parking, but managers aren't doing enough to keep the area safe.

"At least put some cameras or some security guards or gate the community," said Jerry Cardona, whose mother's tires were slashed.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the victims.

¿Quieres leer este artículo en español? Haz clic aquí