L’Observateur / July 21, 1999

DEAR EDITOR: In November 1996, there was a night’s rampage of cars and trucks’ windshields bashed in and tires being slashed here in LaPlace. Not longafter that, it was mailbox bashings of a repetitive nature heard about.

This past Sunday morning between the hours of three and five, I am told 26 more vehicles were hit by tire slashings and that other cars had been hit during the last week.

It is obvious by the large number of vehicles hit without being seen that these serial tire slashers are privy to the deputies’ patrol times and quite familiar with the area of LaPlace. So much so to get away over thislengthy period of time doing so much costly damage and never having ever got caught. May even live right smack in the area where they arecontinuing to commit all this vandalizing.

This latest on the heels of our sheriff’s re-election gathering, it appears the vandals are purposely trying to make him and our force look like fools.

People are talking about this all over town. The older runs and the latestruns where you wake up to big, unexpected expenses because these clowns still have not been caught or prosecuted for all these crimes.

It would be a coup for the sheriff and a feather in the hats of our deputies if these serial basher/slashers were finally caught and prosecuted and made to pay for all the damage they have done over the past several years, so that people can go to sleep and not have to be worrying rather than sleeping soundly. Will my tires, my windshields or my mailbox be OK ornot in the morning? This has been going on unchecked for all too long a time to be acceptable or reasonable for the victims having to shell out all this non-expected extra money, which some can ill-afford to pay.

Lillian RidlenLaPlace

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