An apparent beef with a local Mountie is believed to be the motive behind a three-day vandalism spree last week in Coquitlam.
Leandro Lamar Lance Roth, 37, has been arrested in the rash of incidents, which saw tires slashed, cars keyed and buildings graffitied in Burquitlam. The suspect appeared in court Tuesday facing five counts of mischief under $5,000 and 15 counts of failing to comply with a recognizance order.
"We believe there is a strong likelihood that more charges are coming in this case," said Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Michael McLaughlin, noting there are potential links to similar crimes that occurred last month.
The vandalism started in early last Wednesday, when at least 30 vehicles had their tires slashed. By the time the suspect was apprehended Friday, more than 100 vehicles and buildings had been vandalized.
Investigators believe the suspect was angry with police and one officer was named in some of the graffiti.
"There was certainly a common thread to a lot of this vandalism that mentioned the RCMP and one RCMP constable in particular," McLaughlin said.
"There are a lot of well-established mechanics where one can lodge a complaint to police," he added. "Doing damage to other people's property is not one of those avenues."
Ron Hartley, who has lived in his Burquitlam home for more than 50 years, was one of more than 30 people in the neighbourhood who have had their tires slashed Tuesday night. He awoke last Wednesday morning to find the tires on his mother's minivan had been slashed, along with those on a half-dozen other vehicles on his block.
Philippe Buteau, Hartley's neighbour, said the deductibles for two of his vehicles that sustained damage in the events would be close to $600.
McLaughlin said police understand the inconvenience people face when these types of crimes occur.
"We are very sympathetic to the tremendous amount of hassle and expense this has been for the victims," he said. "We really appreciate the cooperation and patience we've had from the community as we identified the suspect."
Anyone who has information about the investigation and has not yet spoken to police is asked to call the Coquitlam RCMP at its non-emergency number at 604-945-1550.
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