East Vancouver couple repeatedly targeted by nighttime tire slasher

The first time an East Vancouver couple had tires slashed on both of their vehicles in early October, they figured it was part of a random crime spree – but they did wonder why no other cars in their neighbourhood had been hit.

When it happened again to both of their vehicles less than a week later, they knew they were being targeted.

“The second time, that’s when you start questioning, that’s when you start digging into your mind. What could have triggered this? Did we do something? Did we piss someone off in our neighborhood recently?” said Innis, who along with his wife Shannon asked CTV News not to publish their last names.

The couple installed flood lights and surveillance cameras in their alley-facing driveway and within days captured video of the suspect in the middle of the night, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, baseball cap and face mask, approaching their vehicles and slashing their tires with a knife before running off.

Shannon said it appears the man is older, possibly in his fifties, but she doesn’t recognize him. “We are just wracking our brains," she said. "Who doesn’t like us?”

After their tires were punctured four times during a 20 day period in October, Innis and Shannon began parking blocks away on the street instead of in their driveway. But that didn’t stop it. Their tires were slashed in December, and again last week.

“Now he has figured out that we are parking elsewhere and went out and found my husband’s vehicle a block away two nights ago and slashed two of the tires," Shannon said.

"So now we don’t know where to park. This guy is actually seeking out our vehicles in the neighborhood.”

Innis believes the culprit must live in the area. “Judging by how quickly he responds to our movements with our vehicles, he’s close to us. He lives here,” he said.

The couple has reported every tire slashing to the Vancouver Police Department. After the fifth incident, they said an officer came to speak to them in person. But Innis and Shannon believe its being treated as vandalism, rather than threats or harassment.

“We are definitely falling in that grey area between how traumatic this is as an incident for our family, and where it registers in the civic priority scale,” said Innis.

While he recognizes VPD have many other crimes to solve, he worries if the tire slasher isn’t caught, his crimes could escalate.

“It’s the ongoing nature of it. The first time it freaks you out and it’s weird, but now it’s happened six times,” said Innis. “I’m at the point now where I leave the house every morning, the first thing I do is go look at both our vehicles to make sure they’re not messed with.”

In an email to CTV News, Vancouver police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison confirmed an investigation is ongoing.

"It's quite concerning because of the number of times this family appears to have been targeted. We don't yet know who is responsible or what their motive is," he wrote.

Shannon said it’s not only frightening, it’s very costly. Each replacement tire costs around $300 which is the same amount as their ICBC deductible. So far, they've paid over $3,000 out-of-pocket for new tires and $500 for surveillance cameras and floodlights. 

“We are 11 tires in, we literally can’t afford to be the victims of this crime anymore,” she said.

“I want it to be taken seriously for what it is, which is pretty relentless harassment targeted at our family.”