More arrests made in vandalisms
Published 11:27 am Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Two more suspects accused of weeklong string of vandalism that caused thousands of dollars in damages and destroyed more than three dozen windows of business and vehicles were taken into custody Monday.
Damian Jones, 19, and a juvenile were arrested and charged with three counts of felony malicious mischief, Vicksburg police Capt. Sandra Williams said. On Saturday police arrested Qunicy Brown, Travious Jackson, Robert Devoils and Joques Pierce, who are all 18, and five juvenile suspects, she said.
“What we had across the city of Vicksburg were some young people that drove across this city and committed vandalism all over this city. A lot of people were frustrated, and we were, too,” Vicksburg Police Chief Walter Armstrong said.
The 11 suspects were arrested following a Crime Stoppers tip and community involvement, police have said.
“Chief Armstrong, and your leadership team, have stepped up to the plate and I think that the people of this city can begin to feel we have a team before us and at least if you do the crime in this town, you’re going to get caught,” Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said.
“Now it’s up to the judges, the circuit, the county and the municipal judges to do their job and that is to put them away so that we don’t have repeat arresting the same people, because I think that’s what’s happening out there.”
Suspects were set to appear Wednesday in Vicksburg Municipal Court where bail will be set.
The suspects were apparently riding around town in a truck using a BB gun to shoot out windows of cars and businesses, police have said.
Reports — 37 in total — were spread across the city but none of the malicious mischief in a single incident constituted a felony amount, Williams said.
“The threshold for a felony is $1,000, but that can be aggregated,” Williams said.
The three felony charges are aggregations of 24 malicious mischiefs reported July 13, eight reported July 15 and five reported July 12, 14 and 16, Williams said.
The total value of damages is more than $3,000.
“These kids were up all through the morning committing vandalism. We are not going to tolerate that kind of behavior in the city of Vicksburg. We’re going to catch you and make sure that you’re prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong was also concerned that no parents called police during the week of vandalism wondering where their kids were in the wee hours of the morning.
“What I say to the parent, what I say to the loved ones, know where your kids are. I realize you can’t know what they’re doing every hour of the day, but you all ought to at least know that you have a 16-year-old kid at home in bed at midnight. There’s a curfew in place,” he said. “Every last one of them was violating our city curfew and they need to be held accountable. Their parents need to be accountable.”
The group does not appear to be the group responsible for graffiti spray-painted in the Drummond street area earlier in July, Williams said.
The six adults were held Tuesday in the Issaquena County Correctional Facility awaiting their initial court appearances. Additionally the six juveniles are being held in the Warren County Juvenile Detention Center.