Man Smashes Over 25 Business and Car Windows in Downtown Long Beach

More than 25 cars and businesses were damaged in a crime spree in the East Village, according to the Long Beach Police Department. Officers responded on Friday morning to multiple reports of smashed windows on businesses and cars.

Long Beach shop owners expressed frustration over continuous crime after a vandal smashed the windows of over a dozen businesses.

Surveillance video captured the man walking through the East Village Arts District shortly before midnight on Thursday. He embarked on a violent window-smashing spree, destroying storefronts and nearby parked cars. Using a device in his hand, he randomly smashed windows before casually walking away each time.

Witnesses reported that the suspect also smashed dozens of car windows near a Chase bank parking lot by Ocean Boulevard and Elm Avenue. Residents and shop owners in Long Beach voiced their concerns over the constant crime and called for local officials to intervene.

Long Beach police identified and located the suspect on Friday afternoon, taking him into custody. Locals cited a spike in homelessness and unpunished nonviolent crimes as factors making it difficult to run a business successfully in the city.

The motive behind the window smashing remains unclear, and the suspect’s identity has not been released as the investigation continues.