A 32-year-old Hoquiam transient is in custody this morning for malicious mischief in the first degree, following an investigation by the Aberdeen Police Department into property damage estimated to exceed $10,000.

On Thursday, Dec. 11 at approximately 8:38 a.m., Aberdeen Police responded to a malicious mischief report at Five Star Dealership in downtown Aberdeen, where several vehicles had been damaged. Surveillance footage showed the suspect in the early morning hours throwing rocks at multiple vehicles before walking toward Walmart.

Officers gathered video evidence from the dealership and nearby businesses, and images of the suspect were distributed to patrol units. An officer later recognized the individual from an earlier contact, noting the suspect was wearing the same clothing.

At about 7:33 a.m. Friday morning, an officer located the suspect walking near Safeway. The individual was contacted, taken into custody without incident, and transported to the Aberdeen Jail.

The investigation remains ongoing.