Mailbox vandalism

“Scary” and “disorienting” is how Hood River resident Kevin Kingrey described the explosion of his mailbox and that of a neighbor at around 1 a.m. on July 30. The explosion led to a ground fire in front of their homes at the intersection of Prospect and Montello Avenue, near Rand Road. Kingrey said a large fireworks item, possibly an M80, was set off in his mailbox, next to cars parked in their driveways. Kingrey said “flaming material shot from the mailbox to the juniper hedge across the street, which caught fire immediately and started spreading very quickly” and both mailboxes were damaged. “I put the fire between my neighbor’s house and mine out with a garden hose, then started on the junipers across the street,” Kingrey said. Neighborhood youths also used garden hoses on the junipers, according to Kingrey, who said screeching tires prompted multiple 911 calls from all neighbors within earshot. The incident is being investigated by Hood River Police, who responded along with the Fire Department, Police Lieut. Don Cheli said witnesses saw a white car speed from the scene, Kingrey said he spoke with neighbors who saw the car and also heard “giggling laughter” from its occupants.