Hunt continues for pellet packing punks

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - March 4, 2008 (WPVI) -- The hunt continues for the "pellet-packing punks" who have targeted dozens of cars and trucks across the West Chester area.

The damage is escalating to thousands of dollars - windows have been shot out on more than 100 vehicles. But police do have a clue to help them capture the culprits.

This has gotten way beyond ridiculous. No one's been hurt yet, but the property damage is mounting quickly - an estimated $40,000 worth so far.

13 people woke up this morning to find their windows shot out. Over the past week someone has used a b-b gun to shoot out windows on over 100 vehicles.

It is costing victims time and money.

The vandals have hit surrounding communities as well, but most of the damage is concentrated in the southwest end of West Chester. It's gotten so bad that Matthew Dalton and his brother patrolled the neighborhood on foot last night. They heard a loud bang around 1:30.

Matthew tells us, "We ran towards that car and it sped away. And then, as we investigated, we saw a broken windshield."

They saw a gold or tan colored SUV speeding away. Police are mostly interested in a late model Dodge Caravan minivan caught on surveillance. It was taped in a parking area at a moving and storage company where several vehicles had been vandalized.

The glass repair guys are running from one job to the next, but it's not the kind of booming business they're looking for.

Chris Bolter of Safelite explains, "It's costing people money. Lots of money. You're looking at not only deductibles, but out of pocket expenses... We're not happy because you're going to an unhappy customer."

It's gotten to the point where the vandals better hope the police catch them before someone else does.

The police have more surveillance tape they're analyzing right now. They're asking you to call them if you've seen anyone acting suspiciously in a Dodge Caravan that fits the description of the one caught on surveillance.

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local/state, david henry

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