Fresno police seek suspect accused of vandalism, bat attack on car
Police say a suspect smashed a car with a metal bat near Olive and Palm, leaving $3,000 in damage before fleeing on a skateboard.
Fresno police are asking for help identifying a man accused of tagging graffiti and then attacking a vehicle with a metal baseball bat in central Fresno, leaving a shattered windshield and about $3,000 in damage. The confrontation unfolded in broad daylight on June 11 near Olive and Palm avenues, then shifted to East Olive Avenue and North Ferger Avenue.
Police said the suspect was first seen vandalizing property before the situation escalated. A business owner identified only as Chris said he saw the man tagging graffiti along Palm and Olive avenues and honked to get his attention. Chris said the suspect shouted back, then pulled a bat from a backpack and smashed the truck’s windshield. “He tagged that entire block there,” Chris said, adding that he was trying to stop vandalism on the block and wanted others to get involved.
Police said the confrontation continued after the victim, while sitting in a parked vehicle, confronted the suspect and honked the horn. The suspect then yelled expletives and used the metal baseball bat to strike the vehicle multiple times, damaging the windshield, side mirrors, passenger window and front pillar. Glass shards were sent into the vehicle, turning what began as graffiti into a potentially dangerous violent encounter.
After the attack, police said the suspect fled on a skateboard heading south toward John Muir Elementary. A small white dog was reportedly following behind him. The scene, in a busy part of central Fresno near homes, traffic and commercial activity, left residents with a daylight reminder of how quickly property damage can turn into a public safety threat.
Detective Anthony Rodriguez is handling the case, and police are asking anyone with information to contact him. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-STOP. Valley Crime Stoppers says tips remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward if they lead to an arrest. Fresno Area Crime Stoppers says it was formed in 1993 and has paid nearly $2,000,000 in rewards tied to more than 13,000 arrests over the last 30 years, underscoring how often these cases move forward only when neighbors, drivers or businesses step in with what they saw.
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