‘It’s just been a headache’: Dozens of tires slashed in Rio Rancho neighborhood

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) – “Initially, we were just thinking, ‘oh, we have a flat tire; that’s a nuisance,’ and then you realize, ‘oh no, it was an act of vandalism,'” Mike McDonald’s family woke up to a flat tire this weekend. Turns out, they were not the only ones.

“One of my friends, who also had their tires slashed, was describing how he ended up just driving around the neighborhood when he realized that it wasn’t just him,” McDonald said, “He was talking about a surreal scene because on every street you turned on, there was guys who had cars jacked up, and they were changing tires.”

The McDonald family is one of 38 victims in Rio Rancho’s Cabezon Neighborhood who woke up to at least one of their tires slashed Sunday morning.

The Rio Rancho Police Department (RRPD) has no idea who did it but believes they all happened between Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

“It’s just been a headache and a hassle. I know when I went to get my tire changed on Monday morning, the guy at Discount (Tire) said, ‘yeah, we have seen at least five or six people already who have been here because of that same issue,'” McDonald explained.

He is shocked this happened in his, usually quiet, neighborhood. In his decade living in Cabezon, he’s never seen anything like it.

“We have been in this neighborhood for almost 10 years, nothing even remotely compares to this. You’ll have petty theft or things of that nature that go on, but this is a whole different level, a whole different scale of anything we’ve seen.”

Now, he’s added another step to his morning routine, checking his and his family’s tires.

“Before, I wouldn’t even think about it, but now, I’m thinking about it every morning when I go out. I’m just not sure what I’m going out to.”

McDonald said the only good thing to come of this is seeing the community come together. By the time McDonald returned home, their neighbor had already changed their flat.

“(I) would rather not have the tire slashed and have to deal with it, but thankful for neighbors that look out for one another and are helping to care and serve each other,” he said.

Rio Rancho police do not have anyone in custody at this point. If you know anything about these cases or have video evidence, you’re urged to send it to RRPD.