Caught On Video: El Camino Driver Stops To Slash Tires Of 3 El Monte Police Vehicles
EL MONTE (CBSLA) — The public's help is needed Thursday to find a man who was caught on video, slashing the tires of three El Monte police vehicles.
The incident happened last Saturday while El Monte police officers were conducting an unrelated investigation in the 4000 block of Maxon Road. The officers returned to their vehicles to find six of their tires had been slashed.
"Thought this is just a property crime, the criminal actions of this suspect caused a delay in our response to needed critical services to our community," an El Monte police statement said. "There was a delay in our police department's response to pending calls that included a fight in progress between multiple people, a domestic disturbance which resulted in an arrest and other quality of life issues."
Security video of the tire slashing showed the man had been driving a red Chevrolet El Camino pickup truck with chrome rims. The truck is seen driving by slowly, and returns to stop in the street, alongside two of the vehicles. The driver gets out, and even though his truck partially blocks the view of one of the vehicles, he moves alongside them and can be seen puncturing the tires of the vehicle not blocked by his truck.
With his truck's driver's side door left open in the street, the man then runs toward the police vehicle parked in a driveway, and punctures the driver's side tires of that vehicle too, before driving away.
The suspect was described only as a Hispanic man wearing a black shirt and light-colored jeans but police are hoping someone will recognize the truck by a large sticker in the truck's rear window that said "TESTAMENT" in green lettering.
Anyone with information about the truck or the tire slashing can call the El Monte Police Department.