The owner of an Abbotsford, B.C., auto dealership is offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of a repeat vandal.
“We’re up to $100,000 in damages,” said Brendon Hall, owner and general manager of the Honda Way dealership at the Fraser Valley Auto Mall.
Hall said that since April, someone has targeted his business at least seven times, hurling rocks at vehicles parked on the lot.
Each incident has resulted in between $7,000 and $12,000 in damage, according to Hall.
“They will hit one to four vehicles in each incident,” he said.
“They are typically throwing rocks from offsite … every time there is at least one windshield damaged, I think that is their goal in the attack is to smash a windshield. In the process of doing that, there’s hoods, fenders, pillars, roofs, dented in the process.”
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Worse, he said the business is paying out of pocket, because of its high insurance deductibles.
Hall said the vandal or vandals appear to be specifically targeting Hondas. In one case, the attackers ignored a Porsche parked on the lot while pelting nearby Hondas with rocks.
“I feel like it is in my hands to find a solution. I’ve stayed here late at night countless nights to two, three in the morning,” he said.
“I feel helpless. Our security company can’t catch them, the police can’t catch them.”
Abbotsford police Sgt. Paul Walker said investigators were working with the dealership to try and address the problem.
But he said the nature of the crime presents unique challenges.
“We have increased our patrols in that area and done some proactive stuff, and also investigated every file that has come to our attention, so that’s from CCTV review, from the evidence that’s retained,” he said.
“Sometimes these files are difficult to solve because they are happening in areas overnight, maybe areas that are not well lit, or footage that is captured is grainy.”
Nonetheless, he said catching the perpetrators was “on the top of everyone’s minds.”
Hall, for his part, just wants the attacks to stop.
“We really just want to put this to an end. I would love the person to come forward and have a conversation with me and tell me what the issue is so I can resolve the matter,” he said.
“I just want it to end.”
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