Weekend prank turns to vandalism
College of Eastern Utah students are starting to wonder whether or not it is safe to leave vehicles in dorm parking lots over the weekend.
There seems to be growing trend on campus to write obscene messages on vehicle windows that are left at the dorms over the weekends, reflects a CEU student after his car was not only left tainted with obscene messages written on the windshield, but also sustained body damages while parked in a campus parking lot. What started as a harmless prank may have opened the door to more serious acts of vandalism.
This archived article was written by: Kris Kohler
College of Eastern Utah students are starting to wonder whether or not it is safe to leave vehicles in dorm parking lots over the weekend.
There seems to be growing trend on campus to write obscene messages on vehicle windows that are left at the dorms over the weekends, reflects a CEU student after his car was not only left tainted with obscene messages written on the windshield, but also sustained body damages while parked in a campus parking lot. What started as a harmless prank may have opened the door to more serious acts of vandalism.
Aaron Jones dorm resident Justin Dade got the blunt end of the stick last Friday when he returned to campus after spending the weekend in Salt Lake City for his birthday.
“The first thing that I noticed was the obscene writing on the front windshield,” Dade said. “After a closer inspection I was horrified to find out that there were big dents all over my car. I didn’t know what to do. I have always tried to be nice to everyone and before this I didn’t think that I had any enemies.”
Several other cars in the AJ parking lot bore the same offensive graffito but Dade’s was the only one that had sustained any major damage.
“I just got that car a few months ago for my graduation present and now it has dents all over it,” said Dade. “I just want someone to pay for the damage. I have insurance but if I report it then my premiums are going to go up. Either way it’s going to cost me. The estimated damage is about $1,200. I have already tried to repair the dents myself with a plunger but they are too big.”
CEU campus police officer Cletis Steele took the initial report but with no witnesses it will be a hard case to prove.
“I had noticed the writing on the windows a few days before I was called to take the report. It’s essential for students to call the police as soon as possible when they first see the damage. The longer that they wait, the harder it is going to be to catch the person or persons responsible,” Steele said. “It takes the cooperation of everyone on campus to stop unnecessary crimes like this. If anyone sees anything suspicious they need to call the CEU Police Department [613-5234] at the time of the incident, not three hours after.”
The CEU Police Department has zero tolerance for criminal activity including vandalism and theft. Students caught committing crimes on campus will be handled not only judicially but criminally.
