A Richmond man who formerly worked at Victory Nissan in Mechanicsville was caught vandalizing vehicles last week.
William Jay Cohen, 49, of the 3400 block of Stuart Drive in Richmond is charged with two counts of grand larceny and on misdemeanor property damages. He’s currently being held at Pamunkey Regional Jail on a $4,000 bond.
A vandal cut 34 tires on 31 vehicles at some point during the night on Sunday, July 1 and authorities were called to the 6500 block of Mechanicsville Turnpike at approximately 8:30 a.m. the next day.
According to Sgt. Mike Trice with the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, things got interesting about 12 hours later when a patrolman observed a male entering the parking lot and crouch down next to a vehicle.
“The officer got out of his car and listened and could hear air escaping from the tires,” Trice said. “And when the officer approached Mr. Cohen, he dropped the knife and was arrested.”
All told, Cohen allegedly did nearly $7,000 worth of damage in the first string of vandalisms.
More damage was found inside the building, including items, such as gift cards, that may have been stolen. Trice also said there was some damage to cause the dealership “some short-term difficulty in operation,” such as cut phone lines.
How and when Cohen entered the dealer’s building, as well as what he did once inside, remains under investigation, Trice added.
Victory Nissan’s General Manager Kenny Dunn said Cohen worked at the establishment as a sales person.
He declined to provide any further details, including when Cohen ceased employment at the dealership or even how long he worked there.
Dunn credited the quick work of the Sheriff’s Office for helping apprehend the suspect.
“They just did a fabulous job,” he said. “And they really were right on the ball on this and we really owe them.”