There was a string of vandalism in Crookston over the holidays. This vandalism came in the form of paint being sprayed and or splattered on vehicles in the neighborhoods of North Acres, the Woods Addition, and the Jerome’s Addition, according to Crookston Police Chief Darin Selzler. “We had several vandalism reports come into the police department. I think the first one was on December 24. That’s when the first one came in.”
The December 24 report was just the first of many. “We had about nine different incidences reported of vandalism of some vehicles in Crookston,” says Selzler. “ Originally, it may have come in as like a paintball, but they were using like an automotive paint that you would get, and they were kind of throwing it at vehicles or flinging it on cars where the paint would adhere to the cars.”
Four suspects were identified through an investigation. One was Merrick Erickson, 18, from Beltrami, and the others were three juveniles, age 17, of Crookston.
If you were the victim of this type of vandalism in the past couple of weeks, you can still report this as it is an active investigation. “At this point we are still looking, if anyone did have some vandalism to their vehicle where paint was thrown on their car they certainly should come and report it to us,” says Selzler. “I think we have narrowed it down for the most part, but again, we are always looking for help. If anyone has any damage to their vehicles, we will certainly work with you on that.”
Contact the Crookston Police Department if you have any information or if your vehicle was vandalized.
