Cameron Currier charged with putting large rocks on Kingston road for months to damage cars
KINGSTON – Kingston Police say they've caught the man who's been putting large rocks on Route 27 to intentionally damage several cars the last six months.
Cameron Currier, 31, of Kingston, was arraigned Tuesday on multiple charges, hours after he was arrested.
According to police, the rocks ranged from 15-to-50 pounds and were placed sporadically on a half mile stretch of road after dark since February. Several vehicles hit them, which resulted in airbag deployments, fluid spills and undercarriages being ripped out.
"Quite frankly, with how severe some of the damage was, and Route 27 is a pretty main road here in town – people are going upwards of 40, 50 miles an hour sometimes – as you can imagine coming to a quick stop at a 50-pound boulder could result in injuries," said Kingston Detective Lieutenant Michael Skowyra.
Police said 11 vehicles ended up damaged at a total cost of about $100,000. No one was hurt.
They got a break in the case late Monday night.
"Last night we had a detective in camouflage in the wood line essentially in the pouring rain, standing out there, like a good soldier, and just watching for it to occur. Sure enough, he observed a white pickup truck stop on the side of Pembroke Street in the vicinity of Reed Street. The truck stopped, he heard the tailgate, heard the tailgate again. The truck started to move and there was a rock where the truck was," said Skowyra.
Police followed the man, later identified as Currier, to his home nearby on Reed Street and arrested him. Police do not know a motive yet, but suspect that it had to do with swatting because they believe he could hear the crashes and police response from his home close by.
"We were worried about motorcycles, or maybe somebody trying to swerve to avoid it into the oncoming lane, maybe striking another vehicle. Thank God nothing like that happened," Skowrya said.
A big rock totaled Dustin Starr's Honda CR-V back in April as he drove along Route 27.
"It launched us in the air, smacked right down. Just a huge, loud noise, huge, smack down on the ground," Starr said. "There were fluids everywhere. I had to get towed right away because of the fact that it was leaking fluid."
Currier was charged with 11 counts of malicious damage to a motor vehicle and nine counts of attempt to commit a crime. He is due back in court on October 3.
"I'm glad it's over and I hope that that guy's life is just miserable from now on because he made mine miserable and he made so many other people's lives miserable and we didn't ask for it, he asked for this," Starr said.
Anyone who believes their car or truck was damaged by large rocks in the area is asked to call Kingston Police at 781-585-0523 ext. 6662.
