Hyde Park residents are getting serious about apprehending a cunningly elusive tire slasher who has dogged the area for more than a decade. The increasingly gentrified Central Austin neighborhood plans to spend $10,000 on high-definition video cameras to help APD put the dirty rubber stabber away once and for all.
Police believe the slasher is a homeless man who is not unfamiliar to them, but they’ve never managed to get enough evidence to pin him on tire slashing charges.
The Statesman says tire slashing has been rampant in Hyde Park for 15 years, but I can personally attest that it’s been going on for at least 18 years. Back in 1993, when I lived in a decrepit apartment at the corner of 39th and Speedway, it wasn’t uncommon to see two or more cars with two or more slashed tires in the streetside parking lot. He never got me, though.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
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Tommy Kelly has punctured an estimated 11,000+ tires over the the past 15 years so the term "slasher is a little misleading as he uses a small icepick type instument. He operates late at night and avoids human contact. He is hated among the homeless population and keeps his sleeping quarters well guarded. When under the influence, he may be seen speed walking and looking angry. Other times he may be seen treasure hunting in a dumpster. He was born in December 1954, has a dirty white hair and beard and is also known as "Dirty Santa". Tommy Kelly has been arrested on many occasions but few cars get fingerprinted and linked. The Police are limited to what they can do with the current laws in place. If you get "hit", make sure you report the incident and demand to have your car "printed" as he usually puts one hand on the vehicle as he leans down to puncture the tire. The hole may be so small that you could air the tire up and may take 24 hours to be flat again. He has been known to hang out by the Walgreens on 34th & Guadalupe, behind Meineke or in the alley behind the pizza joint where he gets a number of his free meals. Park your car away from the street and under a bright light.
In addition to the cost involved in purchasing off road rims and tires, it's important to consider whether to choose heavy duty steel wheels or wheels cast from aluminum. While steel wheels are more durable,
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