San Diego police investigate Hillcrest flyers threatening to smash car windows for parking violations – NBC 7 San Diego

Leaflets were found on Hillcrest cars threatening to burst their tires and smash their windows if they dared to park in certain areas.

The flyer says:

“Do not park. If we see you parked within a three-block radius, we will pop your tires and/or break your windows. Sincerely, Neighborhood Watch… A warning.”

It’s not clear where exactly in Hillcrest the flyer is asking people not to park, but neighbors mention on social media that they’ve seen some of them in the blocks near Fourth Avenue.

“I didn’t expect to see something like this in Hillcrest,” said visitor Jessica Nunez.

“I guess it’s like, damn it, it’s Pride. You want to do this to gays in Pride Month?” says Meggie Parlmer, who has only been living in the neighborhood with her roommate Nadia Groce for a week.

“I’m more a little disappointed that it’s like, ‘Oh, you moved to this place that’s so inclusive,’ and this part of town, and the first week we moved here, it’s like, ‘Okay, watch out for the guy who’s blowing tires,'” Nadia said.

“I can’t afford to get all my tires replaced right now,” Nunez said, parking in a handicapped spot along Brookes Avenue. She tried to imagine returning to the note on her car.

“That would not be OK,” she said. “I can park in a handicapped zone wherever I am, in any neighborhood, whenever it is a handicapped zone. I have access there.”

If someone parks in a handicapped zone like Nunez and has their sign with them, they are legally safe. These are public roads, so as long as someone obeys the signs on the road, they are fine. If someone still targets their car, they can file a report and/or press charges.

When Hillcrest visitor Dani C. got wind of the flyer, she was actually more worried about her personal safety than her car.

“If I found something like that on my car windshield, I would probably think someone was trying to kidnap me,” she said. “Because usually it’s not a good sign for women to see something like that on their windshield. So I usually don’t touch the signs. I just leave them alone.”

She is urging everyone to check their surroundings and make sure they are safe before grabbing the paper. San Diego police said they are working with concerned residents to find out who is doing this and to determine if they have followed through on their threats. Police are asking anyone affected to keep video footage that they can use in the investigation. Neighbors can file a report in person, by phone or online at the city’s Police Services tab.