ARLINGTON — Prosecutors have charged two Arlington brothers with malicious mischief in connection with a late night tire-slashing spree in September.
A third boy also has been identified as a suspect in the case. He has not been charged.
Arlington police started hearing from upset vehicle owners around midnight Sept. 20.
The damaged cars and trucks were parked between the 200 block of N. Macleod Avenue and the 700 block of E. Fifth Street, near Terrace Park.
Seven vehicles were hit, totaling nearly $1,300 in damage, according to court papers. The city initially estimated the damage at more than $10,000.
A police dog attempted to track the suspects but was unable to locate the vandals.
Video surveillance cameras captured the teens in action, and the footage was released to the public. Police quickly identified the six boys in the video. Five attended Arlington High School.
Police were told that three of the boys, all 17, were responsible for the damage. The three suspects allegedly confessed to slashing tires with a pocket knife, according to a police report.
The Herald is not naming the teens because they are charged as juveniles.
One boy told police the group met up at the 7-Eleven store on West Avenue. They walked down to MacLeod Avenue and that’s where the boy used his friend’s Swiss Army pocket knife to slash the tire on a pickup truck.
The trio took turns gouging tires on vehicles, according to court papers.
One brother pleaded not guilty last week to three counts of third-degree malicious mischief, a gross misdemeanor. The other, charged with one count, is expected in court later this month. It was unclear if the third will be charged or if he’s entered a pre-prosecution diversion program.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley
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