Vandals tag cars, homes with gang symbols in Carrollwood

CARROLLWOOD (FOX 13) - Whipping out the paint cans and brushes and painting parts of his house is not what Glenn Alexander had planned for his Thursday afternoon.

“It was a star like that with a six in it across my whole hood and right here on this side all the way down,” said Alexander.

But after waking up to graffiti on his two trucks, then realizing his home had been defaced as well. He knew he couldn't let the symbols just stay there.

“It said crip, crip life then I thought about the gangs,” he said. I was just so dumbfounded I just, what is this what's happening.”

Alexander explains he and his wife have lived in their Carrollwood home for 6 years and have never had problems. But still, their initial concern was that they were targeted.

“It could be but I didn't want to put it that way in my head I didn't want to see it that way,” he said.

Their home wasn't the only one spray painted. A neighbor just up the street along Fox Hunt Drive also had his garage tagged along with a community pavilion.

Hillsborough County sheriff's officials say they can understand the frustration homeowners feel and investigators believe the vandals are likely kids.

“These kids don't always understand the severity of what they're doing,” said Larry McKinnon.

McKinnon says depending on the extent of the damage the criminals could face felony criminal mischief charges.