A vandal likely carrying a personal grudge slashed at least dozens of tires in a tractor store in Cabot, Arkansas and caused around $100,000 in damage.
According to the local Cabot station KHTV, Bruno’s Powersports owner Nathan Pruiss “discovered that more than 100 tractor and lawn mower tires had been slashed.” Pruiss said that he believed the attack was motivated by a personal vendetta against him.
Pruiss notes that the vandal did not steal anything. But the vandal slashed the tires of 30 trailers or tractors, in some cases stabbing individual tires 20 times or more. The vandal also had to go out of his way to access certain tires such as by lifting tarps and undoing ropes which were tying down the tires. The vandal also destroyed the windows and light bulbs inside some RVs.
According to Arkansas Matters, Pruiss believes the attack was the result of a former angry employee because the vandal only attacked the tractors which Pruiss had already sold. Pruiss will have to re-order new tires from John Deere dealers and break the vehicles down so he can put them back on. This will delay the made orders.
The police are investigating the matter, and Pruiss said they told him that this was one of the worst cases of vandalism they had ever seen in Cabot. There is currently a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the culprit.
Rising Crime in Arkansas
But while police look for the culprit, Arkansas like much of the country, has been struggling with a rise in the crime rate. Last month, state and local leaders in Little Rock got together to discuss how to tackle a spate of violent acts, including the shooting of a 3-year old boy in a road rage incident.
Leaders like Little Rock City Director Kathy Webb discussed topics such as hiring additional police officers, cracking down on illegal guns, improving race relations, and relaunching a community policing program which had been closed down to put officers back on the road and not just watching a small community.
In the meantime, Pruiss will be boosting the overnight security of his store and hopes that the vandal will not strike again.
