Police in Arlington, Virginia, have arrested a man suspected of damaging dozens of vehicles with a BB gun over the past week. Luis Tavares Sanchez Manuel, 37, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, is facing 12 counts of destruction of property.
Last week, police said they found 23 vehicles with their windows smashed. Earlier this week, police said the windows of another 54 vehicles were shot at in the overnight hours between Oct. 25 and Oct. 27 and that both incidents were believed to be related.
ACPD continues to investigate a destruction of property series in which an unknown suspect(s) discharges a BB gun at the windows of parked, unoccupied vehicles. Community members are asked to review their home surveillance for footage that may assist the investigation. pic.twitter.com/iivOS8QLj8
— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) October 27, 2022
After reviewing crime scene evidence and speaking with witnesses, police said they identified the vehicle they believed was linked to the vandalism. On Thursday evening, an officer spotted that vehicle traveling on South Walter Reed Drive with Sanchez Manuel behind the wheel. He was arrested as he was exiting his vehicle, police said in news release. During a search of his vehicle, a BB gun was recovered, according to police. Overall, since Oct. 21, Arlington police received reports of 91 cars with damaged windows, but a police spokesman said it’s possible not all of them are related to the charges against Sanchez Manuel. Police are requesting that anyone with information that may assist the investigation to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s tip Line at 703-228-4180 or ACPDTipline@arlingtonva.us.