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February 5

Vandals smash windows at Ayla's Waterville home

Police have no suspects in what they call a 'cowardly' act at the girl's grandmother's house.

By DOUG HARLOW Morning Sentinel

WATERVILLE - Police said vandalism late Friday to the Violette Avenue home where toddler Ayla Reynolds was reported missing in December was reckless and cowardly.

click image to enlarge

Two windows were shattered Friday night at 29 Violette Ave. in Waterville.

Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel

A window on the street side of the modest vinyl-sided home was smashed, as was a larger, double-pane window on the side of the house, next to a door. No one inside the home was injured.

Three Waterville police officers responded within two minutes of a phone complaint at 11:15 p.m. Friday about the breakage, Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey said. No rocks or thrown objects were found, leading police to believe the windows were broken by someone using a bat or some other object the person then took away.

"It's pretty disturbing, and I'm simply not going to tolerate having someone go up and harass people, damage their property," Massey said at a news conference Saturday. "Whoever went there knew that there were people inside the house, including a small child.

"Breaking windows with that much force, sending glass flying all over the place, waking people up at that hour of the night, exposing them to the cold, possible injury -- I think it's pretty low, kind of cowardly."

Waterville police went to 29 Violette Ave. after a 911 call from homeowner Phoebe DiPietro, the mother of Justin DiPietro, who reported his daughter, Ayla Reynolds, missing on the morning of Dec. 17. Phoebe DiPietro reported someone was throwing things through windows Friday night.

Massey said police have no leads in the vandalism and he would not speculate about a motive. He said police will step up patrols in the area.

Besides Phoebe DiPietro, those in the home at the time of the vandalism were her daughter, Elisha DiPietro, who is Justin's sister; and Elisha's 19-month-old daughter, Gabrielle.

Massey said a tracking dog from the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office led officers toward Matthews Avenue, where the scent was lost, possibly indicating the culprit left in a vehicle.

Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call the Waterville Police Department at 680-4700. State police ask that tips on the missing child be directed to 624-7076.

Morning Sentinel Staff Writer Doug Harlow can be contacted at 612-2367 or at:

dharlow@centralmaine.com

 

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