Vandal goes on wild car-keying spree, 50 cars damaged

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Police are looking for a vandal who struck at three Hall County car dealerships and used a sharp object to scratch dozens of cars, which will take tens of thousands of dollars to repair.

The Carriage Automotive Group on Browns Bridge Road in Gainesville was the worst hit.

"In a total of five minutes, he damaged 32 cars in the process," said company operations manager Chris Ellison.

Ellison showed Channel 2's Tom Regan the key damage done to the rear and sides of cars in three lots. The vandal, who was captured on an outdoor security camera, stuck at about 1:20 a.m. Sunday, also inscribed Roman numerals on the tailgate of an SUV.

"One of the police officers said it might represent a local gang," said Ellison.

The vandal hit two other dealerships nearby, including a Toyota car business where 16 vehicles were damaged. Police said the total damages may near $40,000.

"It's frustrating. There's going to be a lot of work, and time and effort and money to put these cars back right so we can sell them to customers," said Ellison.

Ellison said he will likely have to pay for most of the damage on each because it will be below his $1,000 per car insurance deductible.

Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call Gainesville police. The dealer is offering a $5,000 reward to catch the vandal.

WSBTV