Tyler

By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer

The shards of broken glass crunched under his feet as the job superintendent surveyed the blatant vandalism to seven homes under construction near Dixie Elementary.

Chad Chauncey, of Classic Century Homes, said the weekend vandalism was the third time the Normandy Heights subdivision has been hit in the past month.

“We’ve had the little things that have happened, but this crosses the threshold into very serious,” he said.

Unknown suspects broke almost every window in the seven homes, tore light fixtures from ceilings, splattered paint on exterior brick and on counter tops, ripped up newly planted trees, kicked holes in walls and tore the temporary electric poles from the ground, leaving live wires exposed.

One Tyler police officer on the scene said the vandalism was the worst he had seen in his 14 years with the department.

Don Martin, Tyler Police Department’s public information officer, said the damage was estimated at more than $30,000, meaning the suspects now face third-degree felony charges. He added there is no widespread vandalism at job sites, and this appears to be specific to the area.

“The chances are that these suspects live somewhere in the area. Last week two black males and a black female were seen running from one of the homes,” he said.

Martin said the suspects were lucky they did not electrocute themselves when they ripped the electric poles from the ground.

“They could have gotten in way over their heads and could have ended up dead,” he said.

Chauncey said the damage would set the 200-plus home subdivision back because repairs have to be made before any new homes could be started.

“This causes a major backup, and I am worried what potential buyers might think when they hear of the trouble we’ve had out here,” he said. “We wanted to kick off this second phase of the development with positive activities like a grand opening, and now we have to deal with this.”

Chauncey said the company was now hiring a security company to watch the area and Tyler police said they would step up patrols.

Additionally, Smith County Fire Marshal Jim Seaton said he was interested in the vandalism because three homes within several hundred yards have been torched in the past year, and he believes the suspects in the arsons may be the same people responsible for the vandalism.

Martin said in one of the homes the name “Kate” was found painted on one of the walls.

A drywall worker at one of the homes said he has fixed the same wall several times, and that is becoming very disappointing.

“We’re all kind of like, I hope they catch these people because this is our work they are destroying,” he said, standing on a scaffold while sanding a wall with a large broken arched window in front of him.

Chauncey agreed, saying the vandalism has dealt a blow to morale.

“No one wants to see this kind of thing. It is pretty disappointing to all of us and we hope we can move past this and get to doing what we do and that is building homes for average families,” he said.

Anyone with information about the suspects involved in this crime is urged to contact the Tyler Police Department, at 903-531-1000 or Crimestoppers at 903-597-2833. Crimestoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest and charges filed against the suspects in this case, or any, felony case.

Anyone with information about the three arsons that have occurred in the area over the past year is also urged to call Crimestoppers or the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office at 903-590-2655.

Updated Monday, July 21, 2008 at 4:17 p.m. CDT

Vandals smashed the windows of seven homes on Calais Street today. Homes were ransacked, doused with paint and fixtures torn out. Damage is estimated at more than $30,000.
(Courtesy Don Martin / Tyler Police)