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Subscribe to RSSPHILADELPHIA -- A neighborhood activist who spoke out about the vandalizing of dozens of cars near his home now has been arrested in the case, police say.
David Toledo is accused of slashing tires in the neighborhood, Northeast Detectives Capt. John McGinnis told NBC10.
See video, read the original report on Philadelphia's NBC10.com
At a press conference Wednesday evening, police said Toledo had been arrested and charged with two counts of felony mischief, 47 counts of criminal mischief, false reports and other related offenses.
Police say they questioned Toledo extensively on April 16, the same day the most recent vandalism was reported on Aldine and Teesdale Streets as a dozen or so more cars were targeted.
Toledo has spoken to NBC10 several times since coverage of tire slashings in the area of the 4000 block of Aldine Street and surrounding roads began to surface in February. The vandalism dates back even further than that, according to neighbors.
"I hope the cops get them before the neighbors find out who it is because something bad is going to happen," Toledo said after some cars were vandalized in mid-March. "My wife said 'somebody is watching us, watching the cops' because when they're here nothing happens."
Now police say that it was Toledo who was causing sleepless nights for neighbors concerned that their cars would be vandalized while they slept. A town watch was formed and police even offered a big reward for an arrest in the case.
All along, Toledo, who lives on Aldine Street, was there speaking out against the vandalism.
"This will be the last time that you're going to get my car because you will get caught," Toledo told NBC10 after just his tires were slashed on March 20. "The $10,000 reward, I don't want the money, all I want is their hands so I can smash them so they can never do it again."
It's unclear if Toledo is responsible for all the area vandalism but police do believe he at least committed some of the tire slashings on Teesdale, Aldine and Erdrick Streets, McGinnis said.
Watch US News videos on msnbc.com
NBC10 also spoke exclusively with Toledo's mother, who reacted strongly to her son's arrest.
"I think he's being set up," she said. "He doesn't go around slashing tires. He's got better things to do in life -- he's got a life!"
The local town watch program Toledo claimed to be a part of held a meeting at 7 p.m. at Frankford and Aldine. In spite of Toledo's claims, the town watch says he was never a member of their organization.
Philadelphia Police urged neighbors who feel betrayed by Toledo to not take matters into their own hands.
“Let the justice system take care of Mr. Toledo,” said Capt. Frank Bachmayer. “We don’t want any type of retaliation.”
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They're activists. They gotta stay active.
You don't eff with another mans vehicle... You just don't do it! This SOB should pay for all the repairs and be forced to wash and wax each car he effed up. And after that, give him a delicious knuckle sandwich.
Sounds familiar. A "neighborhood watch captain" who makes 911 calls complaining about thugs turns out to be a murderous thug himself.
Those poor murdered tires! Won't somebody think of the donut spares?!
I have to agree with Blake where I'm from most people would rather take an azz whipping than have some Low-Life Punk jack with his ride. If you could just catch them in the act I think a knuckle sandwich is to lenient make it so it requires Hospitalization via the Emergency Room and I bet that Punk would never do it again (to my ride anyway)
What a Moron......I mean OXI.
This is exactly what Obama does.... blames Bush for the economy, and then impliments policies that cause businesses to close and layoff employees!
Wake up folks!
Hey, Jacka...lope, nice attempt at drawing this story towards Trayvon® Martin.
But, this does reinforce one thing...let the courts be the judge/jury and impose sentence. The more instances that the mobocracy gets involved = the more instances where justice is not served in the end.
Unless, of course, mobocracy justice is what we're after and then we're no longer a nation governed by laws. That's called Anarchy, folks.
LOL Great joke Eva! About how some idiots tie unrelated topics to their own Political agenda! HAHA. Yeah. Some people are losers and their hearts' only pump kool-aid.
3 deleted, tron777888777888 with a cheap political derail. Banned, rereg of multiple accounter clebro; multiple tron88878887 also banned.
Not restoring 2.2 or 2.6, also off-topic.
Tit for Tat. Sounds good to me.
It says he was a vandalism activist. I have never heard that term used before. Of course I had never heard of a sex activist either until Rush Limbaugh called her a slut. Maybe I am not reading enough
I'm just going to say what many people are thinking. What if this guy was an outspoken critic of tire slashing in order to draw suspicion away from himself? If he actually did it, then maybe he slashed his own tires to make himself look innocent.
@Tron777888777888
Democrat, Republican.. what difference does it make. Either way, better then what ever low life group you belong to.
Wow... he should probably be tested for Dissociative Identity Disorder...
Come all you liberals you know it wasn't his fault he probably had a bad childhood, he was bullied or he has some kind of affliction because you know he's not responsible for his actions. Sarcastic LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
a very poor attempt at comedy. *face is palmed*
What a fool.
Dr. Toledo and Mr. Hyde.
Probably did it out of boredom and the need to be seen in the media. Poor guy probably didn't have any facebook friends...
:-(
How did they determine it was him? It didn't mention anything in the story to indicate that they had evidence on him. I'm sure they're confident that they have their man but tell us how they determined it.
why should they? This isn't a trial, and we aren't jurors.
Possum~~ It's so we can all assume we know what happen and pass judgement on this guy. I mean hell, most of the other articles point out stuff like this. This is America for crying out loud. The country where we pass judgement without any knowledge of the situation!
(If you didn't get the sarcasm here then there's not much hope for you)
This is exactly what Obama does.... blames Bush for the economy, and then impliments policies that cause businesses to close and layoff employees! Wake up folks!
eva??? really, losing 700,000 jobs a month for the last 1/2 year of GW reign or terror is obamas fault? how about creating 100,000 or more jobs a month in comparison? are all you faux trolls really that ignorant, easily dominated, promised lots of sex, gulliable, or paid a lot of $$$?
I wondered the same thing and never found it in the article. If someone had used cameras, I think they would have mentioned it. It must have been that snitch from The Wire.
Oops. Double post. Sorry
OK, so the police arrested/accused him - what is the evidence? Pictures, eyewitnesses, what? This is another typical MSN faux news article - publicize someone's name, but no proof or supporting information. Guy may be guilty as sin, or he may be a total set-up by a policeman who has a grudge - where's the supporting information? Lots of talk, lots of side details about what has happened, nothing about the facts.
As I just said to someone else--why do they need to give us all the details? And furthermore, how do YOU know that the reporter even knows? The police might not have released any of that info. Since, you know, this isn't a trial, and we aren't jurors. We don't need to know.
OK, then if you take that line, why do we need to know ANYthing about what happened? Maybe just put out an article that says "Somebody was arrested for doing something". Or to make it even more generic, just one big news headline: Something Happened Yesterday! Get the drift?
I live in the area. The police have not released that information yet. Although they did say that this guy had problems with a neighbor in another house he lived in - throwing paint on the neighbor's door and, yes, slashing his tires. That former neighbor was suspicious and reported those suspicions to the police. Of course they must have had something concrete to go on if they arrested him, but whatever it is, they haven't told anyone in the media yet.
wychdoctor--there's a difference between reporting the news, and feeding an insatiable public who thinks it needs to know every detail. Your implication was that the police might have caught the guy, but you yourself needed to determine if the guy was guilty or innocent, and MSNBC hadn't done its job because it didn't provide you with every detail. Since you're not sitting on the jury, determining his guilt or innocence isn't your job, and it isn't a failing of the media because they neglected to tell you what that guy ate for breakfast, or how many magazine subscriptions he had let lapse in the past five years.
I wondered the same thing and never found it in the article. If some one had used cameras, I think they would have mentioned it. It must have been that snitch from The Wire.
What a stupid asshoIe. Anything to get on TV.
A community organizer looking for work......
There's going to be a vacancy at the White House in a few months...maybe he wants the job.
lol... you tools never miss an opportunity to look stupid, do you.
Activist. The word has come to mean "blowhole". Here's a task: Mind your own GD business. You don't have to make things worse to prove your idiot point. You need to be in the laughing academy.
Toledo is to cars what Zimmerman is to black kids
And what would that be Steveo? Did the tires attack Toledo? Here's another guy talking about something he knows nothing about. Just like my question, neither of us have a clue what happen. Give it up already!
Still waiting for Mr. Obama and Mr. Holder to publicly denounce the Black Panther party and Spike Lee for their intent to cause harm to the entire Zimmerman family and also the family of the wrong number that Mr. Lee Tweeted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that the Black Panther party put $10,000 bounty on Mr. Zimmerman and Spike Lee intended to have harm caused to this man and his family possibly. But the news our president and Mr. Holder are silent wonder what the reason is?
Mick: What part of BLACK Panther Party did you not catch? This is Obama's peeps, they can do no wrong. Just like the case a couple years ago, when the college teacher copped an attitude because the police were asking him questions about the break-in at his apartment - Obama automatically came out blaming the police! Professional victim, automatic action to blame others.
Similarly, a lot of arson fires are set by members of volunteer fire departments.
Got to be a liberal, you know the do as I say crowd, not as I do.
The next thing you know MSNBC will be identifying this guy is a white/ Latino or white/ black or Asian/white can't wait for the MSNBC race bait to take off.
He's a big fat white dude. I wounder if the tires were black walled or white walled. Let's see the spin on this one! GO............................
So, let's talk about the ethnicity of some of the trolls on this vine. Are you internet/mountain, internet/toll bridge, internet/cave, or internet/swamp?
Actually he's got to be the precient committeman for the GOP. Yep, deflection at it's best. (s)
So he slashed his own tires at least once for some credibility? Classy. He probably had used junkyard tires put on before he slashed his own!
That is like how sometimes an arsonist is looking for attention and will call in his own crime.
The sentence should include Full resitution. It is a strong deterent.
Seems to be a desperate attempt at attention. Both neighborhood watch-groups were on the local news stating this guy approached them with an interest to join but, was not an actual member of either group.
Not only did he slash his tires (if the accusation is correct) but his wife's tires also - twice!!! WTF??? This neighborhood has been hammered with recurring incidents of tire slashing for several months with even one copy-cat being on camera and arrested.
I feel sorry for this guys family who may have to deal with the wrath of their neighbors.
Another complete doooosh bag Obama voter gone awry.
A Union goon making sure there is more work at the tire factory.
I'm willing to bet you he's Republican.
This is what liberals do. They complain about society and commit the worst crimes. Thousands of Mexicans have been murdered because Liberals buy drugs from the Cartels. It is time to declare Liberals terrorists!
So there are no 'Conservatives" who buy drugs??
.... I wonder if he's going to "smash" his own hands now, so HE won't be able to do it again ... lol
This is what conservatives do. They have became the American taliban. Time to declare them terrorists.
Sounds like the firefighters that turn out to be the arsonist.
NOTE: NOT ALL FIREFIGHTERS ARE ARSONISTS. Unfortunately, some do turn out to be the bad guy. Fortunately, they are VERY VERY few and most are caught.
...well! THAT'S embarrassing!
Love how the Obama bangers work him into every seed . The give him publicity whether they know it or not