Paint strip attack mystery - owners
A ‘‘malicious’’ paint stripper attack on a Hamilton couple’s cars have left them wondering why they were targeted.
Adam and Kathy Long woke to find strips of paint shredded from the cars parked in their Rototuna driveway
The pair, who have two teenage children, have been left scratching their heads as to why some ‘‘malicious’’ vandals would target them in such a way.
No other vehicles down the quiet, tree lined suburban street of Alconbury Dr suffered the same treatment in the predawn darkness on Wednesday.
‘‘I came out about 6.30am and both cars were in the front driveway up against the roadside,’’ said Adam.
‘‘It looked like they had used a squirter gun or water bottle and gone all the way down the back of my car and down the side, roof and front guards of my wife’s car.’’
Using what Long believes could only be paint stripper or a form of acid, the vandals actions stripped the paintwork down to bare metal.
Paint from three quarters of his wife Kathy’s 2014 Ford Kuga lay flaked on the driveway. His 2016 work-owned Holden Commodore was given almost the same treatment.
‘‘We thought someone had come down the street to do it so I looked around - it was quite an unusual feeling, you don’t realise the paint will come off that easy.’’
The only indication of any possible link was an area further down the road that was taped off by commercial painters.
‘‘I thought maybe someone has broken into a painter’s van and taken some paint stripper.’’ As to why? Long is stumped. ‘‘The only thing we can think of is on Saturday night we came home from a birthday party about 11pm and there were a sea of kids coming towards us.
‘‘The police turned up and cordoned off the road, moved them all along and we were standing on the driveway and maybe they thought it was me who phoned police.
‘‘But that’s all speculation, we have no idea why.’’
Both cars will need an almost complete repaint, leaving the couple’s company insurance with a $5000-$10,000 bill.
They have reported the crime to police, who have undertaken a forensic examination, which has turned up no fingerprints. Without them, Long holds little hope of holding the culprits to account.
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