A man accused of keying several cars at a Hamden car dealership and causing $20,000 worth of damage was arraigned in court Monday.
Police arrested Richard Chapman, 40, of Durham, who is accused of scratching parked cars with a key and damaging at least 14 vehicles.
Hamden police learned of the vandalism when an officer saw someone walking toward Bob Thomas Ford around 3 a.m. on Saturday and heard a scraping noise.
Staff from the dealership estimate the damage at around $30,000.
Normally Bob Thomas Ford is helping customers who want body work done on their vehicles. But now the dealership itself needs work done on the damaged cars that need to be painted.
"Oh yeah, fortunately we have a phenomenal body shop here but the business interruption is a real problem," Colby Pinette, of Bob Thomas Ford, said.
The vandal scratched through the paint on the hoods of at least 14 cars. Pinette said there have been thefts before at the business, which has no fencing around its lot.
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Chapman isn't a previous customer and Pinette said "it really doesn't make a lot of sense" what the suspect's motive could be to key the cars.
Hamden Police charged Chapman with six counts of first-degree criminal mischief and 10 counts of second-degree criminal mischief.
Chapman was detained on a $20,000 bond and appeared in Meriden Superior Court Monday to be arraigned. His case was continued to July 13 and he was released on a written promise to appear in court on that date.
Chapman has no prior criminal record.
