Four cars across South Boston turned up with smashed windows within a couple of hours early Tuesday morning, sending police scrambling between Telegraph, Ewer, Gold and West Fourth streets as residents woke to the sound of breaking glass. No one has been arrested, and investigators still don't know whether the string of incidents is the work of one person or several.
According to WCVB, the vandalism happened in the areas of Telegraph, Ewer, Gold and West Fourth streets between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., with several of the vehicles' windows smashed out. Boston police confirmed they investigated four separate reports of damaged motor vehicles in South Boston that morning, according to WHDH 7News.
A Chase Down a West Fourth Street Alley
Boston police responded to a vehicle break-in report on West Fourth Street at around 5:30 a.m., the outlet's report notes, where officers found the front driver-side window of a car smashed, though nothing appeared to have been taken from inside. The suspect had already fled the scene before officers arrived, and a victim called 911 before giving chase on their own, per the same account.
The suspect ultimately escaped down an alley, but not before swearing at a resident and at police as he ran toward Broadway, the station's report states. A South Boston resident told the outlet they heard five or six loud pounding noises during the commotion.
Telegraph Street Resident Hears Rock Strike Windshield Repeatedly
About 25 minutes later, around 5:55 a.m., officers responded to a separate report of a man breaking into a car on Telegraph Street, where they found a vehicle window smashed and a large rock sitting near the front of the car, the article notes. That suspect also fled the scene before police arrived.
Jake Jeannaris said he heard the rock hit a windshield five or six times during the incident. “On the fourth or fifth noise, I yelled,” Jeannaris said, after which the individual took off, per the same report.
Gold and Ewer Street Reports Still Unconnected
Boston police also investigated similar vehicle-damage incidents on Gold Street and Ewer Street that same morning, though detectives have not determined whether all four incidents are related, the report indicates. No arrests have been made in connection with any of the vandalism, and the Boston Police Department has asked anyone with information to contact investigators.
One South Boston resident told the outlet that crime and disturbances in what they described as a family neighborhood were increasing and unsettling. Police are separately urging the public to report any suspicious activity in the area, according to WCVB's report.
Past South Boston Vandalism Cases Offer Some Context
This isn't the first time a cluster of smashed car windows has rattled South Boston. Back in March 2020, police investigated three vandalism reports they believed were connected, with the first incident reported around 4:30 a.m. near East Fourth and O streets after two cars had their windshields smashed, according to Boston.com.
More recently, Boston police have put out community alerts tied to isolated vandalism cases in the neighborhood, including an April 2025 notice seeking help identifying someone believed to be connected to the vandalism of a Tesla on O Street, according to a Boston Police Department community alert. A separate alert from March 2025 sought help identifying someone linked to multiple vandalism and harassment incidents near Hemenway and Gainsborough streets, per another department alert. In a separate case, Boston police sought the public's help identifying a man caught on video throwing a rock through a car's rear windshield in Dorchester around 3:30 a.m., according to WHDH, after officers responding near Alexander Street found a destroyed car window and reviewed nearby security footage.
For now, Tuesday's four South Boston reports remain open, with no confirmed link between them and no suspects in custody. Anyone with information has been asked to contact Boston police.
