On Monday, Aug. 5, Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTIA) Executive Director Kevin Baker said that the investigation into the recent car vandalism at the airport is going “very well,” and he added that police and airport authorities are doing everything they can to track down those who smashed in car windows, spray-painted cars and damaged them in other ways in a crime that made news statewide at the end of July.
Baker said airport staff and local authorities are making catching the criminals a priority, and he added that, while he didn’t want to say anything that might interfere with the ongoing investigation, he could say that progress was being made.
The PTIA Police Department and the Greensboro Police Department are investigating the incident that occurred on Sunday morning, July 28, when more than 20 automobiles parked in the airport’s long-term parking lot had windows smashed in and some cars were spray painted. The cars and SUV’s were in the airport’s South Long Term Parking Lot that’s across the street from the Marriott Greensboro Airport hotel.
“It’s disgusting,” Baker said this week of the pointless vandalism that meant 20 fliers and their families arrived back at PTIA to find a battered car waiting for them.
Baker also said the airport is doing what it can to help the owners. Airport staff used tarps to keep the rain out of cars, covered the cost of rides home and helped the victims seek repairs.
We did everything we thought we could to help,” Baker said.
“We have contacted our insurance company,” he added.
According to Baker, the reactions of the affected flyers were “a mixed bag,” with some being irate and others taking the news a little better.
He said that catching the thieves is a major priority and he added that there’s reason to be hopeful in that regard, though he didn’t provide any details.
Baker also said that new measures by the airport that began to go into effect earlier this year would greatly increase overall security at PTIA, though he did not wish to go into detail about that security change for obvious reasons.
