Rindge police are working several leads into this weekend’s vandalism on and around the town common late Saturday night into early Sunday morning. Including a pancake syrup bottle that is being dusted for fingerprints.
Police believe that about 30 juveniles were involved in this year’s Halloween-time tradition of trashing the town common with toilet paper.
Suspects also allegedly threw bottles at passing cars, rearranged letters on a sign at the First Congregational Church, overturned trash cans and lit a couch on fire in the intersection of Main Street and School Street.
One suspect was caught on a police surveillance camera pouring a bottle of pancake syrup – initially reported as maple syrup by police – all over two police cruisers just outside of the police station before leaving the empty bottle behind as evidence.
The Fire Department first reported the vandals to police.
Rindge Fire Chief Rick Donovan said Wednesday that a crew member noticed the juveniles around the common while returning from an accident scene. The crew member reported this to the fire station, which sent a brush truck to the scene.
The juveniles scattered as soon as they realized someone from the fire department had shown up, Donovan said. While no suspects were caught, firefighters were able to collect some license plate numbers to aid the police investigation, he said.
Rindge detective Rachel Malynowski said Wednesday that the bottle of generic pancake syrup was recovered on scene and that it is being sent to the state crime lab to be processed for fingerprint evidence.
“The tips are starting to come in,” she said, adding, “This is going to be a time consuming and time committing investigation.”
On Monday, Police Chief Daniel Anair called for an end to the annual “tradition” where people toilet paper the town common and engage in other acts of vandalism around Halloween, saying this year’s incident were the worst acts of vandalism he’s seen in his 17 years with the Rindge force.
Police were not able to respond to the reports of the vandalism from the fire department initially because police were at Franklin Pierce University from 11:30 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday. investigating an assault.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.