Arrests in Brandon vandalism

VALRICO - Detectives have arrested three people in connection with a vandalism spree that left more than 100 homes in Hillsborough County defaced.

Deputies arrested 21-year-old Aaron Dennis Green; and two 17-year-olds they did not name.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, they got an anonymous tip that led them to the residence of one of the teenagers. They say when they got there, the group was trying to match their stories.

Each of the suspects faces more than 80 counts of misdemeanor criminal mischief.

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More than 100 homes and cars in Hillsborough County were defaced by vandals over the weekend, and authorities are looking for the people who did it.

They hit several subdivisions near Kingsway and Valrico Roads, north of Highway 60. Residents think the crime happened sometime around 2 a.m. Sunday.

"It's so mindless, so senseless," said resident Paul Strollo, whose garage door was spray painted. "It serves no purpose. What did they hope to accomplish by this? Bunch of cowardly kids running around at night with a spray can."

The graffiti in most places contained foul language, swastikas and "666" markings. The marking "2K10" was painted on many of the homes, but investigators say that's not a known gang to them.

Deputies believe the neighborhoods were picked randomly. They say evidence left at one of the scenes was traced back to a Walmart. They looked through surveillance and found the four individuals.

In two of the photos, you can see one man with spray paint cans in his hand, heading to the register.

The Sheriff's Office said the individual bought the cans around midnight on Saturday night.

Neighbors spent Sunday and Monday temporarily covering the profanity and racial slurs left behind.

Tyler Willis and her family just moved in to the neighborhood on Saturday. They said after a hard day of moving, they woke up to find the vulgar language all over their garage.

"Now we have to paint it, cause somebody doesn't have a life," Willis said, disgusted.
Deputies think the neighborhoods were picked randomly.

But Karen Burgess thinks her street was hit because it's so quiet. There's not a lot of traffic going by.

"It's real scary, because no one comes around here, and you feel really safe. I lock my doors, don't get me wrong," Burgess said. "But when me and the boys go for a walk, I feel really safe here. Now it's just, my husband wants me to carry a stick."