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Neighbors Upset After Vandals Tear Up Yards with Vehicles

SMITHFIELD TOWNSHIP — At least three properties in Monroe County were vandalized after vehicles were driven over their lawns, leaving tread marks behind. ...

SMITHFIELD TOWNSHIP -- At least three properties in Monroe County were vandalized after vehicles were driven over their lawns, leaving tread marks behind.

One of those locations is a church cemetery, the other an elementary school, and all three locations are close to each other near Marshalls Creek.

Tire tracks were left on the lawn of a home on Hollow Road in Smithfield Township after neighbors believe vandals went joyriding through the yard sometime over the weekend.

“It's a shame that some people's idea of fun is so destructive,” said neighbor Dixie Wilson.

Neighbors say that property was just sold this week and the new homeowners got this sight as their welcome home.

“The people who just bought that house, the closing was today, and two days before they see that mess in the yard,” said Wilson.

“I feel sorry for the people that bought it coming in to see that kind of vandalism in this town. We don't usually have that here,” said Mike Sodano.

Neighbors say the vandals didn't stop there. It appears someone drove a vehicle through the cemetery at the Shawnee Presbyterian Church.

Sodano is a parishioner there and says the treads on both properties were found Monday morning.

“Well, I think that a good investigation is going to find out what type of car, you're going to find it's just kids trying to act up,” said Sodano.

The nearby Smithfield Elementary School was also hit by vandals in the same way.

The East Stroudsburg School District says this was reported to state police.

Sodano wonders if it could be young people who just came in over the Thanksgiving weekend.

“You know, we're in a tourist area so it could be people that don't even live around here, just be just partiers, you know?” said Sodano. “Couple of drinks will do this to you sometimes.”

“Well, I don't think it's very funny. I think people that do that are just nasty,” said Wilson.

Sodano says the church is without a pastor currently and he and other parishioners have been keeping an eye on the property; that's how the vandalism was found.

No headstones in the cemetery were damaged.

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