Vandal goes on window-smashing spree at north Edmonton businesses

Several businesses in north Edmonton are cleaning up broken glass and boarding windows after a vandal went on a smashing spree Tuesday morning.

The Edmonton Police Service said around 6:30 a.m, a man was seen breaking several windows at businesses surrounding the intersection of 97th Street and 132nd Avenue.

He smashed several commercial business windows, as well as some vehicle windows at a car dealership. Businesses on all four corners of the intersection were damaged.

Northgate Chevrolet Buick GMC was one of the businesses affected, where large panes of glass were smashed at the dealership. The Landmark Mazda across the street was also affected.

Video obtained by Global News shows a man walking along the windows, breaking each one as he went with a sledgehammer.

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An employee at Mazda told Global News 30 windows were destroyed and the sledgehammer was found in the middle of the showroom floor when staff got in Tuesday morning.

A Tim Hortons had 14 windows smashed out, and the cost to replace all that glass is pegged at at least $25,000. The store had just finished renovations in August, too.

The crime spree happened during the morning commute and there were customers inside the coffee shop at the time. The manager of the Tim Hortons said some staff barricaded themselves inside a room in the back, fearing the vandal would come inside the shop.

A nearby A&W was also targeted. Staff there said there were no customers inside at the time but they too hid once the glass began shattering.

A Scotiabank branch also had its windows smashed in, and a Dulux Paints store up the street from the intersection was targeted.

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Police said a suspect has since been taken into custody and will be facing charges. The overall damage estimate has yet to be tallied.

More to come…