CARDIFF, Calif. (KGTV) - Frustration has visited a North County neighborhood on the eve of Halloween as vandals targeted a display and some giant skeletons.
Outside Rick Cassar's home off Birmingham Drive, you can find skeletons of all sorts hanging out. Cassar's wife has been slowly adding to the display for about six years.
“Kids come by. People drive by, and slow down. The whole neighborhood takes a lot of pride in coming by,” said Cassar.
Last Tuesday, he woke up to an upsetting sight in front of his home.
“I just thought about my wife, all the effort she put into it. I knew she was going to be heartbroken,” said Cassar.
A giant, 12-foot skeleton had been toppled over, and its base bent.
“We rebuilt him, put him back up. Figured it was an isolated incident,” said Cassar.
Fast forward four days to late Saturday night; after returning from an errand, he saw the same skeleton toppled again.
“The base is destroyed. A couple ribs on the skeleton are broken. The hand is broken,” said Cassar.
Feet away, near the front door, another giant skeleton was also on the ground and in pieces.
“It’s disheartening to see a skull laying on your porch... That’s when we felt violated and angry,” said Cassar.
Cassar says neither skeleton is fixable. The total loss is more than $2,000, along with the absence of the loss of two towering pieces in a spooky display right before Halloween.
“I feel anger, and I feel sadness,” said Cassar.
Cassar believes the vandals were teens, since he found an Instagram post in which a teen was claiming credit.
Cassar, a counselor and career educator, hopes once the suspect is identified, criminal prosecution can be avoided.
“If they are willing to admit to it, we can do community service together… Let’s make it a teachable moment. Let’s find gratitude. Let’s find respect,” said Cassar.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Sheriff's Department at 760-966-3500 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
