VANDALS GO ON SLINGSHOT SPREE PATH OF DESTRUCTION CUTS THROUGH TWO CITIES.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Vandals armed with slingshots and paintball pellets broke windows and splattered paint on at least 35 businesses and four vehicles, sheriff's deputies said.

The vandalism began about 8 p.m. Sunday in the Valley Central shopping center in Lancaster, by early Monday had spread to Palmdale, and continued through Monday afternoon, deputies said.

``Within a 34-minute period there were seven calls on or near Valley Central Way, all of them regarding windows of businesses being shattered,'' said Deputy Dan Burdick. ``There was also one vehicle that was struck. Within an hour there was two more, and at this point we don't have a total. The investigators will have to tie these together.''

Witnesses to the vandalism at the Lowes Home Improvement Store about 9 a.m. Monday said it was done by four white or Latino men in a champagne-color, compact car.

The car pulled up in front of the store, and two men leaned out of the passenger windows of the car and fired slingshots, deputies said.

In Lancaster, at least 20 businesses, including restaurants, furniture stores and a roller rink, and at least one car were hit during the spree.

The Palmdale vandalism began just after midnight. Windows were broken at auto repair shops, restaurants, computer and discount stores, home improvement stores, a bank and a minimart. The vandalism in Palmdale continued through midafternoon.

The windows were broken with steel ball bearings, commonly used in slingshots. Some of the businesses were also splattered with paint from paintball-gun pellets.

``Some of our witnesses who have seen this stuff happening said a wrist rocket (-style slingshot) was used,'' said Deputy Dave Miklos. ``Paintballs were also fired at some of the businesses.''

Discount Tire Centers in the 3000 block of East Palmdale Boulevard had a display window shattered and was splattered with paint.

``All I could think about was getting it cleaned up and getting going on with work,'' said Discount Tire Centers store manager Mickey Rosales.

The tire store was actually vandalized twice, Rosales said. Someone on Saturday night shattered the outer pane of a double-paned window. Early Monday, vandals broke out the interior pane of the window.

Anyone with information on the attacks is asked to call Detective Dan Gordon at the Palmdale sheriff's station at [phone] or Deputy Dan Burdick at the Lancaster sheriff's station at [phone].

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) A customer walks past a broken window at Antelope Valley Bank on Monday after vandals struck in Palmdale on Sunday night.

(2 -- color) Discount Tire Centers mechanic Frank Cornell removes a portion of glass broken in a vandalism spree in Palmdale.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer