Troublemakers Use Pellets to Break Windows Around Benton

Some very small items are causing a very big problem in Benton. Neighbors and businesses all over town are cleaning up or replacing glass, after someone shot pellets through their windows. After 6:00 Friday morning, Benton police received over 30 calls of windows being shot out around the city. Jim Allen and his crew at the Habitat for Humanity Re-store noticed shards of glass on the floor when opening Friday morning. They then noticed seven holes in the Habitat Store windows: one hole in each pane. "Estimated cost to each window, about $600 a piece and there`s about six of them that are going to have to be replaced," Allen said. "That`s a lot of money." This store is one of 33 businesses, homes and cars around Benton that were hit overnight, or early Friday morning. "The smaller pellet that`s a regular BB, they just use it in BB guns," explained Lt. Mike Kassel. "The larger one is for slingshots and wristrockets." Police collected several of those pellets from the scenes. Even City Hall was not immune, where someone fired a pellet shattering the window. Police say all of the calls have stressed out their emergency system which usually averages about 40 calls per day. But Friday, they received over 60 calls by 4 p.m. "We have more important things to do than taking calls like this for some kids that are out messing around," Kassel said. What`s more is the cost of replacing so many broken windows. "If we have to pay this out of our pocket it`s gonna set us back a little bit and we`re not going to be able to fulfill out mission of building homes for habitat," Allen said. Police say when their culprit is caught, he or she will have plenty to answer for. "We have some leads, we may be catching them and either they or their parents are going to be paying a hefty bill," Kassel said. Lt. Kassel if the damage to these windows reaches over five hundred dollars, their suspect could face felony charges, instead of just criminal mischief. Police say they do have a suspect and hope to make an arrest either Saturday or Monday.