18 Year Old In Custody After Causing Extensive Damage At New Duluth Transportation Center

This blog is my reaction and disbelief to a news story I read from WDIO.com.  Reading the news of what this man did makes me both sad and mad.  I ask the question, WHY?  Why does this man feel he has the right to destroy something that does not belong to him. I just.don't.understand!

For months I have been blogging the progress of the Duluth Transportation Center thanks to the efforts of Heath Hickok, the DTA Marketing Director.  We have literally watched the transformation before our eyes and excitement has been mounting to the upcoming grand opening next month.

Then some guy decides to cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage to the facility in a four hour crime spree.  Dennis Jensen, the DTA's General Manager says a conservative estimate would be $50,000!  Thank goodness the DTA's security cameras were already working, they caught him in the act.   He tried damaging the cameras but they continued working and recorded the extensive damage he caused.  The senseless acts of smashing computers, sledgehammering the drywall, defacing the inside of the elevator and even twisting metal supports.  Malicious!  According to the story from WDIO.com he then went into an adjacent parking ramp and is believed to have prowled 15 vehicles.

It makes me so angry that we work so hard to keep up with technology, keep the things we own nice and somebody comes along with nothing better to do than to destroy it and for no good reason.  As a community we should feel violated!  The DTA staff is handling it well and said while it's a setback, they plan to restore order and be ready for the grand opening on February 4.

Please don't let this incident scare you.  When the facility does open it will be a safe area.  The fact that it's still under construction made it easier for this guy to get in and do damage undetected for a length of time.  In the meantime, the police are still investigating and formal charges against the suspect are expected this week.

I appreciate that you've read my rant.  It just that this is so unnecessary and wrong and leaves me shaking my head as to why this kind of crime happens.

Info via: WDIO.com and DTA