Police Investigating Damaged Vehicles on Pine Street

Five damaged vehicles apparently scratched with a key-like object while sitting in an apartment building parking lot on Pine Street are being investigated by Montclair Police.

On July 1 and 2, officers visited the lot at the rear of 84 Pine St. multiple times on reports of vandalized vehicles.

According to a department statement, the owner of a 2012 Land Rover said the damage occurred between June 28, when she parked her SUV in the lot, and at about 5 p.m. July 1, when she returned and found a two-foot scratch mark on the hood of the vehicle.

Also found damaged was a green Honda Civic parked in the lot June 30, according to its owner. At about 7 p.m. on July 1, he told officers that he found a scratch that covered the car's entire circumference and its hood and trunk.

The police returned to the lot at about 8:06 p.m. to check out another report of a damaged vehicle. This time the owner told officers that two of his vehicles, a red Chevrolet pickup and a maroon Chevrolet SUV, had been scratched on their hood and quarter panels while sitting in the parking lot over the weekend. They were last seen undamaged on June 8, according to the police statement.

The following day, July 2, officers were called back to the Pine Street parking lot just before 1 p.m. after getting a report of a fifth damaged vehicle, police said.  The owner of a beige Acura RDX told officers that her  car had been keyed and was left scratched around the entire vehicle. The owner said the vandalism occurred sometime between 2 a.m. and 11 a.m. Police said she added that this was the second time in two weeks that she had found her vehicle damaged. 

Anyone with information regarding the incidents can reach Montclair Police at 973-744-1234.