AKRON, Ohio — The Akron Police Department remains on high alert after nine more rock throwing incidents were reported over the weekend.
Over the last few weeks, there has been a total of about 30 rock throwing incidents across the North Hill neighborhood. Police also said there have been a few dozen other incidents across the city since Thanksgiving.
The victims each reported that between 6:30 p.m. and 4:30 a.m., at least one person threw rocks at homes, breaking out the glass windows. Police said in at least two of the incidents, car tires were slashed.
The rock throwing crimes over the weekend happened on the following streets:
- 540 block of Elma Avenue.
- 360 block of Julien Avenue.
- 380 block of Julien Avenue.
- 40 block of W. Salome Avenue.
- 800 block of Belden Avenue.
- 900 block of Dan Street.
- Burns Street.
- 150 block of Jesse Avenue.
- 1290 block of Betana Avenue.
In addition to the incidents reported over the weekend, from Nov. 20 through Dec. 9, the residents on the following streets said their windows were shattered by rocks:
- 1100 block of Hinman Court.
- 1300 block of Aster Avenue.
- 1100 block of Hinman Court.
- 440 block of Stanton Avenue.
- 440 block of Stanton Avenue.
- 1000 block of Dietz Avenue.
- 430 block of North Firestone Boulevard.
- 280 block of East York Street.
- 590 block of Parkview Avenue.
- 1400 block of Grand Park Avenue.
- 250 block of Cranz Place.
- 400 block of Lookout Avenue.
Police said the department is increasing patrols throughout the neighborhood.
Admir Bektic noticed a strange car outside his house as he was coming home from his parents' house next door. He said he got ready and went to the gym, but when he came home from the gym early in the afternoon, he saw the damage to his house.
"Come home and see that window broken and that window broken," Bektic said, pointing to broken glass in the windows of a bedroom and the living room.
Bektic is among those in the North Hill neighborhood dealing with the recent vandalism.
"I was upset, but I didn’t know what else to think really, it’s just, 'Who did it?'" Bektic said.
Bektic said he owns nearly a dozen properties in the neighborhood and that his own house was the only one of his properties vandalized. He described the projectile that broke his double-paned windows as concrete, "fist-sized."
Akron Police Lieutenant Michael Miller said while some of the rocks in these incidents were smaller, "I’ve seen some larger than a plate in some of the instances, they’re very large rocks."
He added that it would take "some coordinated effort to even throw or launch a rock of that size," leading police to believe there is likely more than one suspect, and that the suspects are likely young adults or older teenagers.
"It appears to be some baseless prank for fun or kicks," Miller said. "There’s no place for that."
The timing, Miller said, was especially poor.
"On the heels of Thanksgiving and now the Christmas holiday season, it just couldn’t come at a worse time for families," Miller said.
Bektic agreed. When asked what he would say to the people responsible, he said, "Just get it together, grow up. It’s pointless. What are you doing it for? You’re not benefiting from it so why would you hurt somebody else?"
Anyone with information is asked to call Akron police at 330-375-2490.
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