Dozens of cars on Date Street marred in latest tire slashing

Dozens of motorists who had parked along Date Street near Ala Wai Golf Course late Thursday night or early Friday morning later found tires slashed in an apparent vandalism incident.

The incident is the latest in a series of tire vandalism cases under investigation by Honolulu police. A police spokeswoman said about three dozen cars have had tires damaged over the last two weeks.

Vehicles with punctured tires could be seen for several blocks along Date Street on Friday morning.

Todd Dukes, who was changing his slashed rear passenger tire on Date Street at about 9:30 a.m., said he had parked his car at about 10:30 p.m. Thursday and came back in the morning to find the vandalism. He said police told him that about 30 cars were damaged at about 1 a.m. Friday morning.

Sarah Yoro, a spokeswoman for the Honolulu Police Department, said officers are also investigating tire slashing incidents in the Nuuanu area. Seven vehicles were damaged along Nuuanu Avenue on May 10, and seven more had their tires slashed May 11 on North Kuakini Street.

Yoro said it’s not clear whether the cases are related.

She said investigators are following up on possible leads, and anyone with information should call police at 529-3111 or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cellphone.

The incidents are classified as second- or third-degree criminal property damage cases. Second-degree criminal property damage is a felony, with a possible prison sentence of five years.