'It’s pretty sad': Halloween decoration vandals strike north Phoenix neighborhood

PHOENIX - Residents living in one north Phoenix neighborhood are hoping to catch a group of vandals that's seemingly going house to house and destroying Halloween decorations.

Neighbors are hoping new surveillance footage might help catch those responsible.

Several residents near I-17 and Jomax Road discovered their inflatable Halloween decorations were not just deflated, or stolen, but in many cases, stabbed and slashed. Neighbors are sharing their surveillance videos, hoping to identify and catch the vandals.

In less than 10 seconds, vandals in a sedan are seen in the footage driving up to a home and decimating three inflatable decorations and then driving off.

One of the residents, Lisa Francis, says, "They were each completely slashed across, it was pretty shocking."

She says several other neighbors discovered their inflatables slashed as well and captured the crimes on video. They believe the same vandals may be behind all the destruction.

"I think for the kids, they’re hurting little kids’ spirits. Just let them have their fun. It’s Halloween," Nancy Garcia, a resident in the area says.

Francis agrees with Garcia, saying the kids are most definitely affected.

"Really invasive for them to come up on our property and it seemed like maybe there was somebody in the passenger seat recording. It seemed like it was maybe fun for them, but our kids were really devastated," Francis said.

Family and neighbors donated new inflatables to Francis' family.

"We didn’t want our kids to see us live in fear and say we’re scared to decorate. We took the opportunity to decorate again and celebrate the way we want to celebrate," Francis said.

For another family, the vandals killed more than just decorations.

"My daughter, I have a 10-year-old, she was pretty devastated. So she took all of our other decorations down, she said she didn’t want the other decorations to be destroyed. So it’s pretty sad," Garcia said.