A Colwood mother and her family are still reeling after an alleged pickaxe-wielding vandal was chased out of the area after wreaking havoc.
At around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Tami Brown heard noises coming from outside—she looked out the front window of her Galloway Road home but didn’t see anything or think much of it.
Not long after, Brown’s neighbour knocked on the door, explaining they had caught a man in the act of smashing her van’s windshield.
“I guess he heard the noises too, went outside and saw the man with the pickaxe, and then he chased him to try and catch him—but the guy was very fast and outran him,” Brown told Victoria Buzz.
“They called the police before we even knew that it happened. When we went outside the police were already here.”
Brown says it’s an incident that left her feeling “super angry” and “shocked,” not only because she just bought the van but also because she thought it was a safe neighbourhood.
“I was very surprised that something like this would happen here. It was very upsetting,” she said.
In a plea to those nearby, asking them to come forward with any information, Brown says it’s to her knowledge that police “have a good idea” as to who the vandal is; however, “they have no visuals or video footage of him.”
“I have a dashcam, but unfortunately, we don’t have street lights where we are,” she said. “So it caught nothing, unfortunately.”
In a Thursday statement to Victoria Buzz, a spokesperson for West Shore RCMP confirmed that officers responded to the incident. “However, I do not have any further information at this time,” the spokesperson said.
Brown’s now urging those in the neighbourhood to be “extra cautious,” keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. “Make sure your doors are locked and your kids aren’t out. If it’s dark out, maybe stay inside,” she added.
