Several vehicle windows shattered in Cedar Rapids overnight

Windows on several vehicles in Cedar Rapids were broken overnight, leading to damage estimates in the thousands of dollars.

Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said reports started coming in around 4 p.m. Wednesday and continued through Thursday morning. As of mid-morning Thursday, 17 vehicle owners had reported damage.

A witness spotted the suspects with a BB gun around 5 p.m. Wednesday, as they drove in the 1700 block of B Avenue NE. Seven vehicles on the block had windows shattered.

"They saw somebody driving down the street in a tan-colored car," Hamblin said. "That's how they knew it was a BB gun, because you couldn't hear it go off, but they saw the barrel (of the gun)."

Multiple people were in the car, but one person wearing a Carhartt-style coat was doing the shooting, according to the report.

Many of the other reports were not in the same area. Three vehicles along Ninth Street SW were damaged. Reports were taken Thursday morning on vehicles parked on Bever and Grande avenues SE, and 21st Street SE.

Based on the time span between the incidents, police believe the cases are likely related.

Shane Shoemaker, of Quality Auto Glass, said replacement costs for vehicle windows vary, but generally run around $200 or $300. Insurance companies usually have higher deductibles than that, he said.

"The owners are usually stuck paying the bill," Shoemaker said.

Hamblin said one victim of a similar crime two years ago set up video surveillance and caught the suspects when they came back two nights later. But preventative measures don't need to cost money, she said.

"It just goes back to being watchful for you and your neighbors," Hamblin said. "And knowing where your kids are."

Anyone with information about the recent vandalism spree is asked to call police at (319) 286-5491 or Linn County CrimeStoppers at 1-800-CS-CRIME.

Here are the locations of the reported damage:

-1700 block of B Ave NE - 7 vehicles

- 2200 block of First Avenue East, 1 vehicle

- 7730 Burr Ridge Dr. NE, 1 vehicle

-536 Ninth St. SW, 1 vehicle

-2022 Ninth St. SW, 1 vehicle

-523 Ninth St. SW, 1 vehicle

-803 Rockford Rd. SW, 1 vehicle

-2223 B Ave. NE, 1 vehicle

-2003 Bever Ave. SE, 1 vehicle

-2144 Grande Ave. SE, 1 vehicle

-352 21st St. SE, 1 vehicle

Map of vandalism locations:

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