Residents of the Ovation at Meridian 55+ community in Queen Creek are dealing with a string of vandalism incidents that are leaving many feeling violated and on edge. Early Saturday morning calls began to flood the Queen Creek Police Department, reporting a slew of destruction, including one resident's window shattered by rocks, according to 12News.
Homeowner Tammy Brown, awakened by the sounds of vandalism, described the helplessness of the assault on her community's sense of security, "Until it happens to you, you don't realize how violated you feel," she stated, as those who perpetrated the act damaged more than just physical properties – breaking into the heart of their tranquil lives with every piece of shattered glass. Not only homes were targeted, community amenities were also trashed, and police are looking into a possible connection between these incidents and additional ones, involving graffiti and damaged breaker boxes as well as unauthorized motorcycle riding within the vicinity, as detailed by Arizona's Family.
The siege on this gated enclave didn't stop at rocks; the vandals left chairs and cushions ablaze, walloped a TV into oblivion, and even made off with a motor from the spa, neighbor Steve Farber described the state of the community's clubhouse which has since been patched up. Farber's home remained untouched but uncertainty nags at him, "You never know if someone is going to jump over the wall or the fence of where you live and do damage to your home, your personal property, You have absolutely no idea if that’s going to happen or not," he told Arizona's Family.
In response to the unsettling events, Taylor Morrison, the home-building company overseeing Ovation at Meridian, is tightening security; a spokesperson confirmed the deployment of more surveillance cameras and the hiring of an off-duty officer to patrol the area. "We take the safety of our homeowners and community seriously and are deeply saddened by the recent vandalism," the spokesperson expressed in a statement reported by 12News. Meanwhile, authorities are stepping up their presence, scouring for leads to apprehend the individuals responsible for rattling this once peaceful retirement community.
