St. Petersburg police are looking for two men caught on surveillance video after a late-night vandalism spree racked up about $96,000 in damage at the city's tallest tower. The Saturday night incident outside the Residences at 400 Central left three large windows shattered and 14 landscaping lights yanked out of the ground, turning a pricey stretch of sidewalk into a glass-strewn mess.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, investigators say the two men ripped up the planter lights and smashed three large glass panes, with the total bill for repairs estimated at roughly $96,000. Photos published by the Times and credited to the St. Petersburg Police Department show broken windows, debris scattered across the sidewalk and damage at the base of the high-rise.
Surveillance footage and police appeal
Detectives have released surveillance stills that, as reported by WFLA, appear to show one of the men repeatedly hurling a landscaping light at the building. Police say the vandalism unfolded around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday and are asking anyone who recognizes the pair to call the St. Petersburg Police Department at 727-893-7780.
Why the building matters
The Residences at 400 Central is the 46-story tower that has redrawn the downtown skyline, and it is no stranger to unwanted attention. The project was also the site of a 2024 crane collapse that damaged an adjacent office building, as noted by St. Pete Catalyst. This latest round of damage lands just as new retail tenants are getting ready to move into the tower's ground-floor spaces, feeding ongoing downtown chatter about security and how to keep the streetscape looking polished.
How to help
Anyone with information about the vandalism or the identities of the men is urged to contact the St. Petersburg Police Department at 727-893-7780 or send an anonymous tip through the department's tip line. Officers also encouraged nearby residents and businesses to review any private surveillance from around the time of the incident and share those recordings with investigators to help speed up the identification process and potential charges.
