COLORADO SPRINGS — A Pikes Peak Crime Stoppers tip led to the arrest of suspects who allegedly vandalized a local park in Colorado Springs.
According to the Colorado Springs Police Department, an anonymous tip resulted in the arrest of juveniles. These suspects are believed to have vandalized John Venezia Park in Colorado Springs in September. The tip included videos of the vandalism occurring at the park which helped the police identify the suspects.
"We are grateful that an anonymous citizen came forward to give Crime Stoppers information that could be used to solve this crime," Chairman of the Pikes Peak Crime Stoppers, Don Addy, said. "Crime Stoppers is a valuable public service for helping law enforcement agencies solve crimes."
Shortly after the vandalism occurred a $2,000 reward was issued by the Pikes Peak Crime Stoppers for any information leading to the suspects' arrests. The amount was then matched by a citizen contribution from “Hiking” Bob Falcone.
The "really aggressive" vandalism resulted in damage to wooden benches, the splash pad, light fixtures, drinking fountains, and more. There was also graffiti painted throughout the park and the bathrooms were damaged. In all, the vandalism totaled close to $20,000 in damage. Not only is this a popular park, but the repairs caused by the vandalism will be footed by Colorado Springs taxpayers. As a result, it became a point of public interest to find the culprits. At this point, it's unclear if the reward was given in exchange for the tip that identified the vandals.
