BUTTE - It was 5 o’clock in the morning on a Saturday when Kimi Hueftle was coming out to her car to go to work as a nurse when she noticed something odd about her rear driver’s side window.
“Yeah, I just opened it, and it shattered,” Jackson Street resident Hueftle said.
Turns out she was one of more than 50 victims of slingshot vandals who ran amok all over town.
WATCH: Four suspects charged after Butte slingshot vandalism spree damages 50 windows
“There were all over town, and there wasn’t really any rhyme or reason how they chose their victims,” Undersheriff Jeff Williams said.
Three adults, Christopher Hern, Laine Lowder, and McKinsey Allen, were charged on April 6th with felony counts of criminal mischief in connection with this case. A 17-year-old has also been cited. They are accused of breaking windows of dozens of cars, residences, and businesses by shooting a slingshot late the evening of April 3rd and early April 4th.
Police were able to identify the vehicle the suspects were in through residential security cameras and determined they had recently purchased a slingshot at Walmart and quickly arrested the suspects.
“They did an excellent job following up and being able to identify quickly and make an arrest. At least put a stop to that spree of vandalism,” Williams said.
Some victims I spoke with said it was alarming to find their property damaged.
“I felt targeted at first, so it’s kind of refreshing, or reassuring to know that it wasn’t at me, but the whole town, and that’s also scary that people can do that,” Hueftle said.
McKinsey’s bond was revoked because she was free on an unrelated felony charge from January. The other two were being held on a $25,000 bond.
Hueftle has insurance but won’t be able to get the window replaced for several days.
“I’m just like, please, don’t snow or rain for like the next week,” she said.
