Parked vehicles easy targets
Vandals run amok in some Gallup neighborhoods

A truck that was for sale was found vandalized aong Route 66 Tuesday morning. The vehicle was found with smashed windows, graffiti, and according to the owner, Dale Gurley, allegedly missing important paper work from the glove department. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

By Leslie Wood
Staff writer

GALLUP — More than a dozen cases of property damage were reported to city police during a four-day period last week.

Sgt. Erin Toadlena-Pablo, a spokeswoman for the Gallup Police Department, said the vandalism often involved break-ins to vehicles parked in remote or dimly lit locations.

She said no specific area was targeted, but lately an increase in property damage related incidents have been reported in the Indian Hills and downtown neighborhoods.

Betta Duncan of Gallup is fed up with the incline in vandalism and wants residents to pull together to find a solution to the ever-growing problem.

Duncan recently helped a friend whose pick-up and camper were damaged while parked at a gas station near the Indian Hills neighborhood.

Dale Gurley obtained permission from the business owner to park the vehicle in the lot near Gilbert Ortega’s Indian Arts to advertise its sale.

Gurley discovered his vehicle’s windows had been shattered and some of the contents of the truck were missing.

Duncan said she is frustrated because Gurley was trying to relocate and has minimal funds to do so. Because the vehicle was damaged, its recent buyers refused to complete the sale and Gurley is out a large sum of cash.

“It was a very stressful situation for him,” Duncan said. “ ... It can put people over the edge when something like this happens. Something has to be done about this.”

Toadlena-Pablo recommends motorists park their vehicles in well-lighted areas to prevent such incidents. It is also vital to lock all doors and to avoid keeping valuables inside unattended vehicles.

If a resident’s vehicle breaks down, Toadlena-Pablo said it is possible to request a routine patrol of the area in which the vehicle is parked.

“These types of things are happening all throughout Gallup,” she said.

The recent incidents of vandalism were reported on Logan Avenue, Coal Avenue, Chamisal Avenue, Maloney Avenue, Aztec Avenue, East and West Highway 66, Kevin Drive, Ninth Street, Susan Avenue and Fifth Street.

No arrests have been made in connection with the last week’s incidents.