San Diego

Boulder Vandal Causing Safety Concerns on Golden Hill Roadways

Golden Hill residents are concerned after finding several peculiarly-placed boulders in roadways, and on and around their parked vehicles.

Ben Bruff was bowled over to find a half-basketball sized rock in the wheel well of his girlfriend's Jeep last month.

Bruff said the large rock had been shoved in one of the back wheel wells of the SUV, “So if she'd taken off, this whole thing would have been ripped out with the rock."

The potentially dangerous find happened on 19th Street on January 21.

Since then, Bruff's snapped pictures of the rocky situation neighbors have reported on multiple streets in Golden Hill.

He shared pictures of a boulder in a blanket parked on the trunk of someone's car. Another big rock in the street on 19th near Broadway was a definite road hazard.

“It could cause a gigantic crash or you're on your bike and hit that and its dark. It’s pretty scary," said Rena Sugarman, who’s noticed the rocks.

Bruff shares Sugarman’s concern, especially after spotting three large rocks near the overpass of Interstate 5.

“It became one of those things where it was like, 'OK, that could possibly be dangerous.'"

Calls from Golden Hill neighbors have poured into Councilman Chris Ward's office. Ward released a statement Tuesday that read in part:

"We have been in touch with the San Diego Police Department and are advocating for more patrols in the area, as well as better lighting in that part of the neighborhood."

So far, it seems there's been little if any damage caused by the misplaced rocks.

A spokesman for the police department says they don't have a suspect, but they're aware of the problem and are looking into it.

They say residents need to call the community relations office to help bring the vandal to justice.

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