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Police: Man uses hammer to smash 19 windows in parking structure

Posted at 6:41 PM, Aug 25, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-25 22:31:55-04

HOLLAND, Mich. -- More than a dozen vehicles were damaged in a Holland parking structure after someone smashed them with a hammer.

Police got a call from a witness at the 7th Street Parking Deck around 3:00 p.m., saying they saw a man with a hammer on the upper floor of the parking lot smashing car windows. The suspect - a 29-year-old man - seemed to be randomly striking car windshields, windows, and mirrors.

Nobody was hurt and the suspect returned to the scene to turn himself in after police began investigating. Police say the suspect may suffer from a mental illness.

“We believe there may be some mental illness that came into play; he made some comments to us that made us believe that," said Sgt. John Boeve with the Holland Police Department.

Some of the victims whose cars were damaged by the window breaking rampage say they feel sorry for the suspect.

“Believe it or not, I feel bad for the guy who did it. Nobody does this is in a normal mind set," said David Kruis, whose car was one of the ones damaged. "So something’s going on. Makes me feel bad for that person.”

“I heard he had a mental illness so I pray that the best comes out of it and that he comes to terms with what he did,” Said Zach Mouw, another person whose car was vandalized.

Police say the suspect could be arraigned Friday and could face multiple charges of malicious destruction of property.