A 53-year-old Windsor man is dealing with mischief prices in relation to a lot of incidents the place companies in and across the downtown space had home windows smashed.

Windsor police mentioned the incidents occurred between Nov. 23 and Dec. 29 final yr at 13 companies.

On the scenes, officers “discovered metallic nuts scattered about on the bottom close to the shattered home windows, main them to consider the fasteners have been used to trigger the harm,” police mentioned in a information launch issued Tuesday.

Police estimate the overall price of the harm is greater than $12,600.

Police mentioned officers “decided that the identical suspect was answerable for all 13 incidents” by trying by way of surveillance footage.

The person was arrested on Feb. 16 and has been charged with 13 counts of mischief beneath $5,000.

Police didn’t establish which particular companies have been affected in these incidents, however a number of downtown institutions have spoken to CBC Information in current months concerning the frustration of having their home windows damaged. 

The proprietor of Lefty’s on the O, Jim Arbour, mentioned final month that the glass at his enterprise had been damaged by somebody throwing lug nuts.

Renaldo Agostino, councillor for the downtown space and a enterprise proprietor himself, mentioned he was glad to listen to somebody had been arrested.

“I’ve by no means seen one of these destruction [allegedly] brought on by one single particular person utilizing the identical instruments over and over,” he mentioned.

“It was virtually like there was a vendetta in opposition to small companies.”

Agostino mentioned what unfolded throughout the investigation was an “experiment” in how expertise can assist clear up crimes like this.

“The rationale that this bought resolved is since you had an unbelievable police power working at this, however you additionally had a very good safety footage and actually good enterprise house owners that each one work collectively to seize this particular person,” he mentioned.

However he additionally mentioned measures some have taken, like hiring safety guards at night time, are short-term options.

“I believe it is bought to be wrapped up into extra than simply placing just a few safety guards out on the road,” he mentioned.

“I believe there’s bought to be an even bigger plan and one thing extra inclusive of assist relatively than simply placing just a few safety guards on the market on the block at nighttime.”

Bar proprietor requires helps

Tom Lucier, proprietor of Phog Lounge, additionally had two home windows damaged in current months. He mentioned the repairs and alternative glass price him about $2,000.

However he identified that the vandalism is not going away as a result of one man has been arrested.

“That is the factor that retains getting ignored: That man was such an outlier,” he mentioned Tuesday.

“The people who find themselves inflicting quite a lot of the vandalism, and it’s extremely random, it is by way of manic episodes, psychological well being issues.… We completely miss the purpose when one thing like this comes out.”

Lucier mentioned the entrance window and door to the lounge have been spray painted purple earlier this week and he does not assume policing or safety are the solutions to those issues.

“Police cannot be there to stop these things. There must be an precise wholesale buy-in to taking good care of the folks on the streets,” he mentioned.

“The truth that’s not being performed, it is simply getting worse and worse.”

He mentioned a number of the blame lies with folks in energy and the voters that put them there.

“We have now not elected compassionate folks.”