Cars tagged in spray paint spree

AUSTIN (KXAN) - It is not a fun way to start off 2013.

More than 20 people in Northwest Austin woke up Wednesday and found ugly words and pictures spray painted all over their cars.

Most of the damage happened at the Artisan apartment complex off Parmer Lane near Ranch Road 620 and in a nearby neighborhood.

An investigator with the Williamson County Sheriff's Office spent the entire day taking pictures of the damage.

It is a story Kimberly Perry and her daughter Alicia Perry, 25, will be telling for years to come.

"Happy new year to me," Alicia said with a sarcastic smile.

The two can laugh about it now, but it was not so funny when they first laid eyes on their white 4-door car Wednesday morning.

"Your car getting hit is bad enough, but coming around the corner and seeing it covered in blue paint is kind of gob smacking," said Alicia.

Blue paint is covering the back windshield and the hood. The "F" word and a picture of a male body part was permanently sprayed on the driver's side sometime overnight. What's even worse -- they had to drive a friend to the airport.

"People were slowing down and looking,'" said Kimberly.

A few feet away from their car sat another white car with a bad paint job. Right around the corner Dararith Py's mini van was hit, too.

Above the vulgar artwork on the hood, he found a new crack in his front windshield. Dararith will have to pay a $500 insurance deductible to get it fixed. It's cash he says is tough to come by after the holidays.

"I just can't believe people would do stuff like that."

He is a taxi driver and fortunately has another car to drive until the damage is fixed, but not everyone is so lucky.

"She has to go to work with that nonsense," said Alicia pointing to her mom.

A spokesperson with the Williamson County Sheriff's Office said investigators have a good idea who is responsible for the crimes. They have also narrowed down the time of the tagging to around 3 a.m. Wednesday.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Hicks with the Williamson County Sheriff's Office at 512-943-1300.