Police investigate vandalism at FarmHouse
A student found paint splattered on his car.
Published Oct. 19, 2010
Police are investigating an incident of vandalism at the FarmHouse fraternity house.
The suspects vandalized a car parked near the house, Columbia Police Department spokeswoman Jessie Haden said. The damages will cost upward of $500 to repair.
The victim called police at around noon Friday to report the crime. He found white paint splattered on the hood of his car.
He told police there was a disturbance at the house between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. the day he filed the report. During the incident, people at the house informed the victim his vehicle had been vandalized.
“He wasn’t there when this was happening,” Haden said. “At some point, his friends told him this had happened. He’s kind of getting this third hand. We just know what he was told and consequently what he told us.”
Haden said the victim thought the disturbance was the result of a dispute between two different fraternities, but she didn’t know which ones.
“I can tell you honestly we have had relatively few problems with FarmHouse,” she said. “I’m not clear if it’s between FarmHouse and someone else or two other fraternity houses.”
The victim did not report whether the disturbance leading up to the vandalism was a physical fight.
“Some guys, for whatever reason, are not getting along and this guy got paint thrown on his car,” Haden said. “He might not have even been the intended victim.”
Many incidents of vandalism don’t have an intended target, Haden said.
Haden said CPD hasn’t seen an increase in property crimes as homecoming approaches, but liquor law violations have been an issue on weekends with home football games.
Police might have been able to prevent the car from being vandalized if they knew there was a disturbance happening, Haden said.
“If you’re hearing about something going on, call us and tell us what’s going on,” she said. “It’s better to know during a disturbance.”