A good Samaritan helped police identify and capture a vandal who allegedly smashed up at least nine parked cars in Holmesburg early last Thursday.
The witness called 911 at about 4:15 a.m. after he allegedly saw a young man kick in the windshields of two cars and damage the body of a minivan on the 4600 blocks of Sheffield and Meridian streets, police said. A short time later, the responding officers spotted a guy fitting the witnesses’ description and detained him. The officers brought the witness to the scene where he fingered the alleged vandal.
Police searched nearby blocks and found nine damaged vehicles. All were on the 4500 and 4600 blocks of Sheffield, Marple, Loring, Vista, Oakmont and Meridian streets.
Nathaniel Torres, 19, of the 6900 block of Ditman St., was charged with criminal mischief in all nine cases. Police say he has six prior arrests for burglary or theft, some of which occurred when he was a minor.
Court records show that he was arrested as an adult in November 2014 for theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and related offenses. He later pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property and unauthorized use and was sentenced to three years’ probation. At the time, he was still in juvenile custody for unspecified prior offenses.
Torres is now scheduled for a Feb. 16 status hearing in the new case. He is also scheduled for a Jan. 26 custody hearing and a Feb. 4 probation violation hearing for his older case. He is jailed in lieu of $9,000 bail. ••
