Vandals smash string of SV windows

A series of Scotts Valley businesses had their windows shattered by large rocks several weeks ago.
The incidents may have been the start of a string of similar vandalisms in Live Oak and Aptos, which involved shattered glass and rock throwing, Scotts Valley police said.
“It’s very possible it could be related, but nothing has been put together yet,” said Scotts Valley Police Department Sgt. Justin Milroy. “It appears that maybe the vandalism started in Scotts Valley and continued throughout the county overnight, but it’s speculation at this point.”
The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office is mum on details of the rock-throwing vandalisms as they investigate, sheriff’s Sgt. Dan Campos said.
Vandals hurled a rock through a picture window of a child care center around 6 p.m. Feb. 4 on the 100 block of Navarra Drive, Milroy said. A clay pot was also smashed, and 15 river rocks were stolen from outside the property.
A short time later, two large windows of a vacant building next to Paws To Play on Scotts Valley Drive were smashed with a river rock. Then, two more windows at nearby Ralston Rod & Tackle were shattered the same way.
The business owners were left to pick up the pieces.
“My bookkeeper walked in and saw shattered glass everywhere,” said Perry Ralston, who owns Ralston Rod & Tackle.
Ralston said the damages were estimated at $3,900.
“It was very dramatic for me and hurt me as a business man. I’m a small business owner trying to make it, so it was really devastating,” Ralston said. “Shooting classes and other operations had to be put on hold.”
Just cleaning up all the glass took about six to seven hours, Ralston said.
“If I ever find out who did this, I will definitely press charges,” he said. “It’s stupid people that have to hurt the working class.”
Cindy Moore, who owns Paws To Play and the vacant building next door, said her damages were estimated at more than $1,500. Moore said she had rocks thrown into two large plate-glass windows.
“The glass was so sharp, and I didn’t even know how I was supposed to clean it up at first,” Moore said. “I hope whoever did it has a guilty conscious.”
Moore said she was grateful that Ralston helped her with the cleanup and getting the new windows put in.
But even though things got fixed, the vandalism still took a toll on her family.
“The week it happened, I was supposed to make a deposit for my daughter’s wedding reception, and because of what happened I had to hold off on the payment,” Moore said.
Milroy said the nature of the vandalism makes it hard to pinpoint suspects, but police are doing what they can.
“It’s one of those things that’s hard to be proactive about,” Milroy said. “We just hope to get some witnesses and that people will report any suspicious cars or activity.”