Police seeking information after Butler resident, business owners find tires slashed Thursday morning
Butler police are on the lookout for someone who slashed tires on at least eight vehicles overnight Wednesday, Dec. 6, into Thursday, Dec. 7.
Four of the vehicles belonged to Denny Offstein’s Auto Sales and Used Parts business, located on Hazel Avenue in Butler, and another four belonged to two nearby Butler residents.
“I don't bother anybody; I bother no living soul whatsoever,” said Offstein, the owner of the auto sales and parts shop. “I can't have this damage.”
Offstein estimates the cost of the damage at around $500.
According to Butler City Police Chief Robert O’Neill, the damage was likely “criminal mischief.” He said he hadn’t seen anything like this for awhile.
O’Neill said police would check the neighborhood for camera footage and encouraged anyone with information to contact the department at 724-287-7743.
Offstein said he’d offer a $50 reward for information leading to an arrest related to the incident.
Offstein learned of the incident when a neighbor phoned him just before 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning to tell him what happened.
“The neighbor called and said that there's a problem in the neighborhood, that there’s tires slashed,” Offstein said.
Tracy Powers, who lives along Hazel Avenue, said three of the affected vehicles belonged to her family. She owned two of the vehicles — a vintage Chevrolet Camaro and a Mercury Cougar — and her uncle owns a black Jeep Grand Cherokee.
“It’s Christmastime,” Powers said. “I got kids, you know. I’m a single mom.”
In addition, she said she spotted a black mask laying behind her uncle’s Jeep.
“It was a black hat and eyes were cut out,” Powers said. “There were slits cut out for eyes.”
Keith Selfridge said his red Chevy Blazer had a passenger side tire slashed. Selfridge noticed the damage around 6:30 a.m., just as his wife was about to go to work. He said he was able to get a replacement tire hours later, which cost $177.
Troy Douthett, who also lives on Hazel Avenue, escaped having the tires on his family’s two cars slashed. He said he believes he may have encountered the perpetrator Wednesday evening.
He is hopeful the perpetrator was caught on his home’s security cameras.
