Someone is slashing tires in neighborhoods around SLO

A recent rash of tire slashings around San Luis Obispo has police and residents scratching their heads about who is responsible and why.

Over the past week, The Tire Store in San Luis Obispo has received around a dozen requests to repair slashed tires, manager Kevin Conlon told The Tribune.

Conlon said tire slashings aren’t particularly common in San Luis Obispo, but they do happen in occasional smatterings.

Most of the damaged cars were brought in with tires with punctured sidewalls, which Conlon said rendered most of them useless.

One Tesla arrived in particularly bad shape, with three ruined tires costing around $1,500, Conlon said.

Users of social media sites Reddit and Nextdoor reported tire slashings near the corner of Ferrini Road and Chorro Street, the Highland Street area and the 600 block of Broad Street, where around six cars’ tires were slashed Sunday night.

San Luis Obispo resident Jeanell Emanuel posted a Ring doorbell camera video on Nextdoor of an individual appearing to break off from a group of pedestrians before slashing the tires of her car, while a Reddit user said their vehicle sustained similar damage.

“As a student striving to graduate from Cal Poly this spring, I fail to comprehend why I’ve become a target of such senseless acts,” the Reddit user said in a post. “This ordeal has not only depleted $1,000 from my savings but has also rendered insurance claims financially unfeasible, jeopardizing my financial stability.”

San Luis Obispo police Sgt. Jeff Booth said the department is aware of the slashings and is looking into the cause but does not have any leads on suspects at this time.

Anyone with information on the incidents can call 805-781-7312.