Sharp Metal Devices Placed in a Leander Parking Lot Punctured Nearly a Dozen Cars' Tires, Police Say
Leander police are asking for information after caltrops — metal devices built so a sharp point always faces up — were placed in the Play Academy parking lot on South Highway 183 over the past few days.
Nearly a dozen drivers in Leander have found flat tires this week, and police say it was not bad luck. Over the past few days, nearly a dozen cars in the parking lot of the Play Academy, at 1901 South Highway 183, had their tires punctured by sharp metal devices known as caltrops, FOX 7 Austin reported, citing Leander police.
A caltrop is designed so that no matter how it lands, a sharp point always faces upward, police said — which is why investigators are treating the placement as deliberate. Police called the act intentional and dangerous, FOX 7 reported: a tire that fails on Highway 183 at speed is a crash risk, not just a repair bill.
Police have not announced a suspect or a motive in the reporting read by this desk, and none is speculated on here. The department is asking anyone with information about the devices or who placed them to contact Leander Police Detective Hubbs at (512) 528-2805.
Drivers who use the lot, and any lot where a device is spotted, should check the pavement around their tires before pulling out and report anything sharp rather than driving over it. This desk will update the file if police announce an arrest or a wider pattern.
