TAYLOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — Multiple vehicles in Taylor were vandalized with black spray paint overnight in several neighborhoods, including on Michael Street.
Police have confirmed that at least five vehicles were reported damaged, though residents believe the actual number is higher. As of now, no suspects have been identified or apprehended.
Watch Jolie Sherman's video report below:
"Not sure what was going on in their minds, but they were destroying property, that's for sure," Erin Purcell said.
Purcell says the vandals targeted her parents' F-150 and several other vehicles on Michael Street. While they were able to remove the paint, the incident left them upset.
"It's a few on each street that were hit, and it looks like it's mostly white vehicles. I'm not sure why. I know there was a red truck that was tagged, but it didn't show up very well," Purcell said.
Her son, Jack Cone, first noticed the damage as his grandfather was taking him to school.
"I was going in the side door and I had seen a black swirl on it, and I'm like, 'hey, did you spray paint your car?'" Jack said.
Lt. John Regan of the Taylor Police Department confirmed the vandalism appears to be random with no specific or hateful messages.
"Nothing specific like wording or other things you may have heard in the past, more like just circles. Just general vandalism of spray paint on their cars," Regan said.
Residents believe the vandals may have been spray painting vehicles while riding in a car, as the damage appears on the sides of vehicles facing the street.
The incident prompted Purcell to warn other families online, generating numerous comments from people reporting similar black marks on their vehicles.
"I'm really big on advocating for the neighborhood and things like that," said Purcell, who has lived on Michael Street for over 40 years. "It's kind of heartbreaking. You have something nice in the neighborhood and somebody destroys it. It's very irritating."
While police have received five official reports of damaged vehicles, Purcell says she drove down other subdivisions and noticed other cars were targeted.
"The Marathon gas station on the corner of Van Born and Telegraph, the neighborhood behind there, they also were hit, and another person on Beech Daly and Ecorse, they were also targeted, too."
Taylor police are asking residents to check their security cameras and report anything unusual to their non-emergency number at 734-287-6611.
"We're working, canvassing the neighborhood, looking for videos, but this is the easiest way for us to reach out and ask for any videos," Regan said. "If you see something in your neighborhood, weird noises, vehicles that don't belong, call police. Just let us come out and do our job and check on it."
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