Man in custody for vandalizing police cars

Accused of placing nails around vehicles

A Porterville man is in custody after reportedly damaging city and law enforcement vehicles with nails, the Porterville Police Department reported.

Starting in late April, employees of the Porterville police and fire departments starting finding piles of nails strewn around the police department and fire station in such a way as to cause damage to city vehicles, specifically fire engines and police vehicles.

Over the course of the next month, nails were found on a daily basis at several city and county government buildings, some of which caused damage to police vehicles, city employee vehicles and a judicial officer’s vehicle at the county courthouse with damages estimated at over $1,000, PPD reported.

The subsequent investigation revealed two unidentified subjects on bicycles who were observed on several different surveillance videos committing the vandalism, PPD reported.

At about 8:55 p.m. on Tuesday, an off-duty Porterville city firefighter observed the same subjects in the area of Lowe’s and notified the police department. The subjects were contacted and identified as Phillip Robinson, 57, and a woman.

Based on video surveillance, officers recognized them as being the same subjects observed throwing the nails and causing damage. Both were arrested and detectives assumed the investigation. Detectives interviewed both subjects and determined Robinson was solely responsible for the vandalism.

A search warrant was obtained for a residence in the 200 block of South Ohio Street where detectives seized items linking Robinson to the crimes.

Robinson was charged with felony vandalism, obstructing an officer in the performance of their duties and throwing substances on a roadway likely to cause injury or damage. Robinson was later booked into the Tulare County Jail where he is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Anyone who has information in regards to this incident is asked to contact Det. Morales at 782-7400.