Twelve tire-slashing incidents have been reported across southeast Austin since August, and police still don't know who's responsible. The Austin Police Department is now asking residents near the Mabel Davis area to be on alert and to report anything suspicious as detectives work to track down the culprit or culprits behind the string of vandalism.
According to KVUE, the Austin Police Department is investigating 12 reported tire-slashing incidents in southeast Austin since August 2026 and is asking the community for help. A separate notice from austintexas.gov similarly describes detectives investigating a dozen reports in the area and appealing to the public for assistance identifying those responsible.
The pattern, as described in the same city notice, shows the incidents have primarily occurred on weekdays during overnight and early-morning hours, with reports concentrated at apartment complexes around the Mabel Davis area. The timing suggests whoever is behind the damage is moving through the area while residents sleep, slipping away before anyone notices.
A Monthly Breakdown Shows an Uneven Pattern
The station's report breaks the incidents down month by month: six happened in August, five in September, and just one in October. So far, no incidents have been reported in November. APD detectives are investigating whether the incidents are connected, though that link has not been confirmed.
That uneven spacing — a burst of activity followed by a near-total lull — has left investigators still piecing together whether a single person or group is behind all 12 reports, or whether some of the damage is unrelated copycat vandalism. For now, the case remains open and unresolved.
What APD Wants Residents to Do
Police are leaning on residents to help close the gap in evidence. Per the same KVUE account, APD recommends parking where vehicles are visible to neighbors or security cameras, and parking in a garage or well-lit area when possible. The department also advised residents to consider motion-activated lighting or home security cameras and asked residents to report suspicious activity by calling 311.
Investigators are also asking anyone with photos or surveillance footage to submit it through APD's online evidence portal, and they're urging drivers to check their cars before heading out and to report any damaged tires right away. It's a low-tech ask built around a simple reality: with no suspect identified, footage from doorbell cameras and parking-lot security systems may be the clearest path to an arrest.
Not the First Time Austin Neighborhoods Have Dealt With This
Southeast Austin's spree echoes earlier tire-slashing waves elsewhere in the city, though the evidence doesn't tie those cases to the current investigation. In Goodnight Ranch, residents told FOX 7 Austin that nearly 20 to 30 tires were slashed in an early-morning spree. A separate report from KXAN on that same neighborhood's cases noted that the most recent incidents occurred in the early morning hours of a Saturday, and that police had not yet identified any suspects while they worked to gather more video and photos from people who had filed reports.
Austin has also seen tire-slashing tied to specific individuals before. A 2018 report from the Austin American-Statesman detailed how police attributed the slashing of 58 tires on 49 vehicles in a South Austin neighborhood to a man who was ultimately charged with criminal mischief and arson after also being linked to a house fire. In 2021, the Austin Police Department also investigated several tire-slashing and vehicle-vandalism incidents near East Cesar Chavez neighborhoods, involving vehicles tagged over a span of days that June, according to a department notice posted via Nextdoor.
Austin has seen earlier tire-slashing cases, and APD has not named a suspect in the ongoing southeast Austin incidents. For now, the department's ask remains straightforward: check your tires, report anything damaged or suspicious, and call 311 with information that might help close the case.
