Viera woman finds car scratched by stranger
Surveillance video shows a man dragging rocks across a vehicle in a Viera driveway while the owner was inside.
By Fatima Saleh ·
The incident happened on Monday night.
Kimberly Dickerson returned to her home in Viera, Florida, with her daughter after purchasing holiday decorations. She parked in the alley behind the house. An unfamiliar white car was already there. She assumed the driver was a delivery worker. She went inside to unpack.
Twenty minutes later, Dickerson stepped outside to get more bags. The white car had moved closer to her driveway. She described the driver as an older man. She felt uneasy but closed the garage door and went back inside.
The family's security cameras recorded the next few minutes. The man exited his vehicle. He walked to a neighbor's driveway. He picked up rocks. He returned to Dickerson's car. He dragged the stones along the side, across the hood, and over the roof. He struck the vehicle again. He then walked away.
Dickerson's husband found the damage and told her. She said she felt numb. She did not watch the video immediately.
A neighbor across the alley saw the white car sitting in the grass for at least an hour before the scratching began. The neighbor stepped outside to check on the driver. Neither the neighbor nor the Dickerson family recognized the man.
Dickerson said she was outside near the vehicle shortly before the vandalism occurred. She said it is unusual to feel unsafe in one's own driveway. She worried about what might have happened if the man had approached her or her daughter. She noted her door was open for 20 minutes while the man sat in the car. She said he could have entered the home.
The damage requires extensive repainting. Dickerson said repair costs could reach thousands of dollars. She said the financial loss is less concerning than the fear of a repeat incident. She does not want to learn the attack was targeted only after it happens again.
Brevard County sheriff's deputies are investigating. They went door to door seeking additional surveillance footage. Investigators collected the rocks used in the vandalism. They are testing the stones for fingerprints and DNA. Neighborhood cameras did not capture a readable license plate.
The Brevard County Sheriff's Office confirmed the investigation on Wednesday. A spokesperson said officials had not heard of similar incidents in the area. The spokesperson had no new information to share. Dickerson hopes someone will recognize the man or his vehicle.
