Few leads on vandals who destroyed woman’s walker

HOULTON, Maine — Police in Houlton said Wednesday they have few leads on vandals suspected of purposely crushing an elderly woman’s walker with an all-terrain vehicle one evening last week.

Houlton Police Chief Joe McKenna said Wednesday the vandals left very few clues behind on their trail of destruction. Several members of the community, however, have provided a few tips on the police department’s Facebook page and offered to assist the 78-year-old woman, whose walker was demolished on July 31.

“We really don’t have a lot of leads,” he said. “There were some tire marks and a couple of witness statements but not much else. We are going to put this case on Aroostook County Crime Stoppers and hope that the cash reward will bring in some more information.”

The Aroostook County Crime Stoppers Facebook site highlights crimes each month and allows viewers to offer information anonymously. Anyone who provides information that leads to a grand jury indictment on the crime is eligible for a $1,000 reward.

The woman, who declined to be interviewed by the BDN, is not identified because she is considered a victim.

She lives off Lincoln Street in Houlton near the Riverfront Park trail area. Police say that sometime between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. July 31, she left her walker in her yard during a short trip to the store. When she returned later, it had been flattened by an ATV.

Police indicated they received a description of a “blackish-colored” ATV ridden by two male suspects they believe may have been involved.

In a post on Aug. 1 to the department’s Facebook page, Officer Eric Crouse wrote there were ATV tracks at the site “in a repetitive and circular pattern where they ran over [the walker] multiple times to ensure it was beyond repair.”

The victim was not without a walker for long, however, because a good samaritan donated a nearly new device to her within hours of her having it vandalized, according to police.

Anyone with information about the crime is urged to leave information on the anonymous tip line via voice or text message at 694-3545.