A vandal has been accused of wreaking havoc in two neighborhoods in suburban Maryland, allegedly causing extensive damage and costing thousands of dollars, before he was apprehended, according to local authorities.
Nghia Le, 50, reportedly threw rocks and bricks through windows and punctured car tires in Greenbelt, a suburb of Washington D.C. It seems he did all of this while wearing a balaclava, then strolled away as if nothing had happened, which surveillance footage shared with ABC 7 has shown.
Heather Roman-Stork, one of the affected residents, expressed her fear, saying, “I thought I was going to die,” after experiencing the incessant vandalism.
The rock-throwing individual instilled so much fear that Roman-Stork said she felt compelled to arm herself.
“I was hiding with my softball bat from high school on the phone with 9-1-1 thinking this is how it ends,” she recalled, describing a moment of sheer terror.
The first instance of vandalism at her home left shattered glass scattered across her first floor.
After repairing the windows, Le came back to vandalize once more.
“I was thinking, he’s back, and maybe this is going to escalate,” she reflected on the situation.
Le was first taken into custody on August 6 and again on August 28. He faces charges of felony destruction of property worth more than $1,000.
Once freed on bond, Roman-Stork’s residence was struck two times during the vandal’s August rampage.
After boarding up her damaged first-floor windows with plywood, Le aimed for the second-floor windows, which remained untouched.
Several neighbors also suffered damage during this period, with one home reportedly targeted three times.
Greenbelt Police Chief Richard Bowers mentioned, “He had just replaced all the windows in his home when he came back; they were all damaged again.”
In September, Le continued his spree and was ultimately arrested and held without bond, according to ABC 7.
“I know it’s just property damage, but it’s just property damage until someone is unlucky enough to be in the line of fire of one of these rocks,” Roman-Stork cautioned, voicing her concerns about the escalating violence.
