CrimeStoppers Case #051308

Medford Police are looking for the public's help in solving a vandalism case that has a whole neighborhood talking.  People who live on Hayes Avenue say they were disturbed to wake up Sunday morning and see a house and several fences covered in graffiti.  Neighbors and police hope those responsible can be caught quickly.

At first glance, it's possible not to see the damage done.  Spray paint marks have been covered over with beige paint and workers have been busy removing other signs of vandalism.  But other signs of the attack are harder to miss.

Karen Tevis, who lives across the street, says, "It was devastating to us to see our nice quiet neighborhood hit with something so defiling.  You're wondering, are they going to hit your house next."  Neighbors say someone vandalized a fence sometime Wednesday night and a nearby house three days later. 

While gangs often use graffiti to mark territory, police say that may not be the case here.  "This is more severe than what we've seen in the past with someone trying to mark their territory," says Sergeant Kevin Walruff, who is with the Medford Police Department 

Several people have come forward to help remove the graffiti from the house, streets, and public signs.  One volunteer says it's important to remove graffiti as soon as possible.  Craig Ward, a graffiti eradicator, says, "If you can get rid of it within a day, within a day or two, they're not going to waste their time and all their money and paint for only 24 hours of, quote, glory."

With so much graffiti in the neighborhood, police say it's highly likely someone may have seen the vandalism taking place.  "Somebody needs to talk to us and tell us what happened there.  We've got evidence that we're looking into, but witness statements are always the best," says Sergeant Walruff.

The case number is 051308.  If you have any information concerning a possible suspect in this crime, call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-3-DETECT.  Sonitrol of Medford will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest and the filing of charges.  Callers can remain anonymous.

Craig Ward says it's common for vandals to hit a neighborhood a second time after people have cleaned up a first round of graffiti.  But police and residents of this neighborhood hope the vandals are caught before that happens.

The vandals hit on Wednesday and Saturday nights on Hayes Avenue, which is off Table Rock Road in Medford.