Birdland neighborhood on high alert after multiple incidents of vandalism
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — 'It's a weird feeling after living in the neighborhood for 30 something years and have something like this happen.'
Birdland resident Keith Kingsley is just one of many unlucky residents living in a Birdland neighborhood off of Cardinal Road and Mockingbird, that is being repeatedly targeted by a vandal often seen traveling through the area and making a quick getaway on a small bike.
'He's a homeless [man] that lives in the neighborhood,' said Kingsley.
Kingsley says the vandalism to neighbor's cars has been going on for weeks, and sometime between Friday and Monday two of his cars were targets.
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His neighbor's ring camera recorded one incident at Kingsley's house a few days ago, where the man can be seen pulling up on a small bike, picking up a rock, throwing it at Kingsley's car and riding away.
'The back window on my white car, and my truck he got the front window and the back,' said Kingsley.
He says the man usually strikes at night, and according to neighbors on the Nextdoor app, at least 10 cars in the area have been vandalized.
'This was like $1600… It is frustrating because you got to make appointments at the body shop, get the car there, go pick it up. It's a lot of interruptions,' added Kingsley.
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And the destruction doesn't stop at cars. Just across the street, Julia Lopez says the same man threw a rock at her next door neighbor's window, while a baby was sleeping on the other side.
'He's always walking down and up this street and purposefully aggravates the baby, and mocks the baby's cry… it's very sad,' said Birdland resident, Julia Lopez.
Lopez says the rock was stopped from going into the room by the screen on the window, but the glass is still broken. She says her neighbor filed a police report with the San Diego Police Department, but they couldn't do much.
'They did and the police said they couldn't do anything unless he was physically doing something to them on her property,' added Lopez.
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Neighbors are left worrying whether their property will be the next target. Insurance agent, Nick Adamo, says there are a few important things you can do to protect property in a situation like this.
'That's the reason why insurance is going up like crazy, because of things like this. So you want to fortify your house, fortify your car, fortify everything you have,' said Adamo.
Adamo says if your car is damaged, but still drivable, the best thing to do is get an estimate because it might be a better deal than filing a claim. As for houses, he recommends cameras as the first line of defense.
'As long as you have a camera that shows what's going on, then you have someone to put the liability on and you don't have to take the full brunt yourself,' said Adamo.
For now, the neighbors in Birdland are watching and waiting.
'We're just always on the lookout,' said Lopez.
We reached out to the San Diego Police Department for an update on the situation and are still waiting on a response.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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