BETHEL -- Vandals smashed windows of at least seven vehicles, including two city SUVs, sometime Sunday night or Monday morning in the latest round of damage in this small Southwest Alaska city.
Bethel Police Department Sgt. Amy Davis said police are investigating but didn't yet have leads on the vandalism. The city-owned Ford Expeditions, which were the most damaged, were parked just outside of City Hall next door to the courthouse on Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway.
Nearby, three other vehicles also had broken windows, including a Dodge Durango owned by public radio station KYUK. The station's new reporter was staying in the KYUK apartment and heard something around 3 a.m. but wasn't sure if it was just normal noise and didn't call authorities. Later on Monday, police found two additional vehicles with broken windows at the Timberline Apartments, across the street from the government complex.
Bethel District Attorney Michael Gray said he and another prosecutor were in the court building until around 9 p.m. Sunday and didn't see any damaged vehicles when they left.
In the case of the most recent vandalism, the buildings where the vehicles were parked lack security cameras, Davis said.
The community has been dealing with a string of vandalism incidents in recent weeks. In August, police identified five juveniles, including two 10-year-olds, as suspects in extensive vandalism of preschool classrooms and Lower Kuskokwim School District vehicles. Computers were wrecked or stolen, toilets were left backed up and overflowing, and fire extinguishers were emptied. The preschool was temporarily closed, and officials estimated the cost of the damage at $100,000.
In late August, kids broke into the community garden. They pulled up carrots, tossed zucchini around and threw tools into the bushes, but most of the vegetables were left alone. A city worker who gardens there, John Sargent, and his children tracked down the kids and the tools.
Police aren't sure what's behind the recent issues with Bethel youth.
"I don't know what they are thinking," Davis said. "I don't know if it's bored kids or inadequate parenting." Or something else, she said. Sometimes, good parents try hard to keep control but still struggle with rebellious kids.
"It's just sad," she said.