HEARTLAND, Texas — The Mesquite Police Department and Crandall Police Department are investigating several reports of vandalism in Heartland which occurred over the weekend.
HEARTLAND, Texas — The Mesquite Police Department and Crandall Police Department are investigating several reports of vandalism in Heartland which occurred over the weekend.
The Mesquite Police Department began investigating after vandals spray painted the N-word and poured soap in the fountain at the Heartland community sign on Farm-to-Market (FM) 741 at Interstate 20 — which is within Mesquite city limits.
The following night, “F*** crakers” was spray painted on a homeowner’s fence and paint was spilled on a vehicle, among other incidents.
The incidents come approximately a year after a similar incident was investigated in Heartland in which two individuals were caught on camera spray painting “KKK” and other obscene images on an overhead garage door and a car’s windshield was shattered.
The Mesquite Police Department says they are awaiting the results of evidence obtained at the crime scene in their investigation.
Mesquite Police Department Lt. Brian Parrish says the crime is currently being investigated as a class A misdemeanor and, if a trial judge determines that the offense was committed because of bias or prejudice, then the minimum confinement will be 180 days.
In total, the Crandall Police Department is investigating five incidents — two separate fence paintings, paint on the car, paint on a school, and a keyed car.
Police are reviewing video surveillance evidence as well as several tips.
Neighbors came together over the weekend to remove the spray-painted vandalism.
Heartland, which is outside of the Crandall city limits in Kaufman County, has an inter-local agreement with the Crandall Police Department to provide patrol services for the neighborhood which includes one patrol officer per shift, day and night.
The department began patrolling Heartland at a time when the population was approximately 1,500 residents. Today, that population has grown to approximately 5,600 residents but the patrol agreement has remained unchanged, according to Crandall Police Department Lt. Forrest Frierson.
The Crandall Police Department currently has a proposed agreement in front of the municipal utility district, which pays the current patrol contract, to add one additional officer per night shift to address the growing population in the community.
Anyone with information on these vandalism incidents is encouraged to contact the Kaufman County Crime Stoppers at (877) 847-7522 to submit an anonymous tip or the Crandall Police Department at (972) 677-3224.
