Caught on video: Las Cruces vandals cause thousands of dollars in damage

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- Two young spary-painting vandals were responsible for thousands of dollars worth of property damage over the weekend in Las Cruces, police said Monday.

"It takes a lot of muscle to be wiping all this paint off," said Francisco Caro, who spent his Monday afternoon wiping silver spray paint off his blue Chevy Silverado pickup truck.

"It needed a paint job anyway, but not this type of paint job," Caro said with a chuckle.

Police said the vandals struck a neighborhood in the 1500 block of East Hadley Avenue, near the Meerscheidt Recreation Center, between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Much of the damage was to city property, but there was also vandalism on residents' vehicles.

"People think it's the city's property, but it's actually the public's property," said Dan Trujillo, a spokesman for Las Cruces police. "Public taxpayer money will be used to repair this damage."

Surveillance video captured both vandals on camera, who "appear to be young men," said Trujillo. Police said they had identified one suspect, but no charges had yet been filed.

"I think the parents need to crack the whip a little bit more," Caro said. "In the good old days, a parent didn't hold back."

If your property was damaged during this vandalism spree, Las Cruces police asked that you call Central Dispatch at (575) 526-0795 to file a report.