Tacoma drivers battle snow, ice, slashed tires

Tacoma drivers battle snow, ice, slashed tires

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By Keith Eldridge

TACOMA, Wash. -- Talk about adding insult to injury.

Drivers in one local neighborhood woke up early to battle snow and ice on their way to work. But in addition to snow on their cars and ice frozen on the roadways, they also found their tires had been slashed, their doors keyed.

"I came out here at 4:30 in the morning and none of the cars was messed up. So it probably happened around 5 or 6," said Schadow Randolph.

Some of the tire were left with huge, gaping holes while others had no tell-tale sign save for the absence of air in the tires.

The vandals' act left a gaping hole in the neighborhood's feeling of security.

"I didn't do anything to anyone to deserve this. I mean, just come down the block randomly and just slashing tires and keying cars -- what's the world coming to here?" said Jason Elliott.

Chad Rhoads drives the van pool for Boeing workers to Renton. But he and his 11 co-workers were left to find their own ways to work in freezing temperatures. Rhoads will now have to pay for new tires for the van as well as his own personal car.

"The Christmas money that I was going to use for the grandkids - because I have to send presents home to Montana and stuff - that's going to end it now," he said.

Police are looking into whether the slashed tires are connected to a recent pit bull incident in the neighborhood. Last week a pit bull belonging to one of the tire-slashing victims got loose and was shot. The dog survived, but the tire-slashing victims wonder if they were targeted for supporting the dog.

Police have no suspects.

"It's just insane," Elliott said.

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