After vandalising 6,000 Cars, “Serial Puncturer” arrested

After vandalising 6,000 Cars, “Serial Puncturer” arrested

After years of playing cat-and-mouse with police, a man who punctured the tyres of thousands of cars ,finally arrested.

The 45-year-old, arrested Wednesday, carried out his campaign of vandalism for six years at southwestern French city of Bordeaux  , planning his nocturnal puncturing trips with the precision of a thief preparing a bank heist.

The man, who has yet to be named, told police he acted in anger against society.

He has slashed up to 70 tyres a night since 2011, choosing neighbourhoods at random around the port city to stay one step ahead of the police.

By his own estimate, the unemployed “serial puncturer” – a nickname he gave himself – vandalised 6,000 cars around the French wine capital, a figure deemed by police to be “credible”.

Investigators said they breathed a “huge sigh of relief” following the capture of a suspect they have been chasing since 2014 after realising they were dealing with a serial offender.

The culprit meticulously planned his targets in a notebook in which he included details of CCTV cameras to avoid and scheduling his exploits all the way up to December next year.

He even wrote in code, inverting house numbers to confuse potential readers.

He would set off under the cover of darkness, often striking between 2:00 am and 5:00 am before taking the first tram home, said Nicolas Perez, the police officer leading the inquiry.

It was a photo taken by a resident that finally allowed police to catch up with him.

He was arrested at 2:00 am on Wednesday as he was heading out on one of his usual excursions, and quickly admitted to his crimes.

The full motives of the tyre puncturer, who has no criminal record, have yet to be unravelled.