Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Shawn Landry The crushed windshield of the vehicle flipped during the madcap Red Sox victory celebration.

University of Maine Public Safety is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the identification of a suspect in their investigation of a car that was flipped in Stodder parking lot early on the morning of Oct. 29.

At approximately 1 a.m. on Monday, after the Red Sox won the World Series, police were alerted of vandalism to a 2000 Pontiac Sunfire. The car was flipped near the bushes of the parking lot, crushing the roof and right front fender and totaling the car.

"I'm disgusted by this despicable behavior," Chief Noel March of Public Safety said. "This stuff shouldn't happen, especially not here at UMaine." This is the first time vandalism, to this extent, has happened on campus since March has been in service.

The car belonged to sophomore athletic training major Shawn Landry, who was at his home in Millinocket when a phone call woke him telling him about his car.

"I was shocked; I didn't even know what to think," Landry said.

Landry had gone home for the weekend to visit his mother who had undergone open heart surgery, leaving his car in the parking lot.

"It had been pretty stressful before this all happened, and then the car incident made it even worse," he said.

Landry, who is a Yankees fan, doesn't think the event was aimed at him specifically.

"There was nothing on my car that indicated that [I liked the Yankees]. I think it was just a bunch of people being dumb," he said. "I just wonder what people are thinking sometimes."

Police are hoping the reward will entice any witnesses to come forward.

The money for the reward comes from a Public Safety fund which is supported by seized drug money that courts have given the station, according to March.

"This was an organized effort," Chief Noel March said. He was unsure if the event was related to the big Red Sox win. "I don't really care [about the reason]," he said. "I want the people who did this to be held accountable. We have handprints from the car and other information is developing."

March hopes that those responsible will come forward soon. "If they come forward, maybe things can be settled out of court," he said. "Otherwise we will follow through with prosecution. This reward is for positive identification only, not arrest."

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