Police Investigate Series of Spray-Paint Damage

Nearly a dozen vehicles in St. Clair Shores have been damaged with spray paint in the last several days, including one that had a racial slur written on it, and St. Clair Shores police believe the crimes are all related.

Lt. Tim Keelan said the one case involving a racial slur is not believed to be racially motivated and was likely done by kids who were on spring break this last week. Investigators are tracking down a lead that came through Friday.

Reports of spray-paint damage to vehicles began being filed April 2. In most cases, the owners discovered the damage when they went outside to get into their cars in the mornings.

The first report involved a car in which the letter KJBD were painted on April 2. Later the same day, officers found the same letters written in marker on the wall of a concession stand at Home Plate Sports Center. An employee discovered April 2 that the stand had been broken into sometime since November when it was closed for the season.

Several cases of pop, snacks and candy were stolen from inside and the stand was damaged in several areas. The handle to the door was damaged and the security bars that normally protect a window had been removed, according to a report.

Another report was filed the same day involving the letters KODB spray-painted on a car in the 22600 block of Masonic Boulevard. Then a 44-year-old resident reported a racial slur was written on her car in spray paint overnight.

Most of the damage was done to cars in the area of Harper and Masonic, Keelan said.

Meanwhile, detectives are also investigating spray-paint damage to a business in the 31200 block of Jefferson Avenue. An employee found spray paint damage to the rear of the building April 2 and told police it had become a frequent occurrence, noting another incident a few months ago, according to a report.

It is not known whether the damage to the building is related to the series of other cases. Keelan said there were 10 to 11 cars that were damaged and believed to be done by the same kid or group of kids.