Two Arrested for Mailbox Vandalisms in Montclair

A pair of teenagers is facing charges in a string of mailbox vandalisms in the Montclair section of Prince William County, according to local police.

In a Facebook post, the Prince William County police announced that Damien Joseph Lynch (shown in photo), 19, of 15578 Winding Creek Drive in Dumfries, and a 17-year-old male juvenile from Dumfries were arrested Monday. Each suspect has been charged with two counts of destruction of property and, through an agreement with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, restitution will be sought in all reported cases of vandalism, the police said.

Since the beginning of December, the police said they had received numerous calls regarding the destruction of mailboxes in Montclair. These cases ranged from pulling the mailboxes up from the ground to throwing objects at them and even to destroying the mailboxes altogether. In all, about 45 cases were reported to police with damage estimated at around $2,500.

More news:

• Police: Missing Woodbridge Teen Found Safe
• Woman Killed in Crash Sunday From Woodbridge
• Police: Two Woodbridge Teens Arrested for Home Break-in

At 1 a.m. Saturday, officers responded to the 15800 block of Marlington Drive in Montclair to investigate a report of damage to mailboxes in the area, according to the Facebook post. The officers determined that a possible suspect vehicle was involved in the incident. They eventually located that vehicle in the area and identified its occupants as the two suspects, an adult male and a juvenile male, both of Montclair.

Police detectives subsequently interviewed the suspects and connected them to the rash of vandalism incidents in Montclair over the past two months.

Lynch is being held without bond in the Prince William County Adult Detention Center, and he is due in court on March 3. The status of the 17-year-old juvenile was unavailable, police said; his court date is pending.

Photo: Prince William County Police Department