Vandals armed with bricks are smashing up Edmonton neighbourhoods, homeowner warns

Startled awake by the sound of shattering glass at 4:30 a.m., Mary Saretski feared an intruder was breaking in.

A large paving stone had been thrown through the window of her home in Edmonton’s Inglewood neighbourhood.

“It sounded like a waterfall of glass,” Saretski said of the July 4 incident.

“We woke up startled and ran downstairs to have a look and it was our main large front picture window. There was this brick sitting on the floor.”

“We immediately called police,” she said in an interview with CBC Radio’s Edmonton AM. “They came right away with the dog, but were unable to find anyone.”

Saretski said she isn’t the only one in the area to receive a brick through her window.

We just want to make sure that we get the story out.-Mary  Saretski

There has been a string of similar incidents in the Inglewood and Westmount neighbourhoods in recent weeks, she said.

Mary Saretski says a vandal threw a paving stone through her window in the middle of the night. (Mary Saretski)

An Edmonton Police Service spokesperson confirmed that an investigation is ongoing. Police are expected to provide further details on the case later Tuesday. 

Saretski believes the crimes are linked.

“It’s very scary,” she said. “We thought originally that maybe we were a target or something like that but to know that it’s happening everywhere, it’s quite frightening to be in your home and feel that violation.”

‘A scary weapon’

After the vandalism at her home, Saretski began speaking with neighbours and scouring community Facebook pages for similar cases.

This car’s windshield was smashed by a paving stone. (Gurpeet Ranu)

Gupreet Ranu said he and his wife are facing at least $10,000 in repair costs after paving stones were thrown through the windows of their two family vehicles. 

Paving stone was found on driver’s-side floor mat. (Gurpeet Ranu)

The vehicles were parked in the driveway of his Westmount home when they were smashed up in the night, in back-to-back incidents.

Photographs of the scene show a shattered windshield and a small paving stone, surrounded by broken glass, under the driver’s seat.

Facebook shows that dozens of cars and homes in west central Edmonton have been damaged by having their windows smashed out with the same dark grey paving stones, said Saretski.

“I’ve probably seen about 15 or 20 posts now of damaged homes and cars in Inglewood and Westmount and in all the pictures, it’s the exactly the same pavers,” Saretski said.

“It’s square, about as big as my hand, but quite heavy and sort of a scary weapon.”

The crimes have become a point of concern in the area, she said, and are bringing neighbours together in a new way.

Some residents have created a community watch group, hoping to deter further the vandals.

Saretski is encouraging everyone in the area to watch out for their neighbours and report any suspicious behaviour to police.

Everyone should be on guard, she said.

“We just want to make sure that we get the story out.”

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