Spray-Painting Vandals Run Wild

Spray-painting vandals damaged dozens of vehicles and property in and around the Sacred Heart Church and City Hall neighborhoods in East Providence overnight on Monday, Dec. 3.

Two dozen separate reports of vandalism and malicious mischief were called into the East Providence police dispatch starting around 6 am on Monday, according to Sgt. John Andrews, media liaison. Most of the vandalism was to cars.

The vandalism appears to have occurred between 10 pm on Sunday night and early Monday morning. One vehicle was parked around 10 pm, for instance, and discovered with spray paint on a rear quarter panel around 6 am.

Much of the vandalism involved indiscriminate swipes of spray paint on cars or on garage doors or, in one case, a porch of a home. In a couple of incidents, the vandals painted crude likenesses of penises, according to the police reports.

Contact the police department if you observed anyone suspicious in the neighborhood overnight on Monday. An investigation continues.