Ball bearings as weapons; Man now faces 30+ charges
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Cam Von Clevenger said she's grateful her kids weren't in the car as she drove to her sister's house around 10 p.m. last Wednesday. Out of nowhere, her passenger window was shattered.
“All of a sudden we just heard this loud crash and weren't really sure what happened," she told KOIN 6 News.
When she got home she took a look at the damage and decided to call the Forest Grove police. “That’s when the police came out and let me know that this had been going on for some time.”
Forest Grove PD Sgt. Andrew Colasurdo said he couldn't “recall the last time that we had an individual that was responsible for such a lengthy period of damaging people's property.”
There had been numerous reports of people's cars being shot near E Street and Pacific Avenue. The first incident was reported in October 2023. But between November and May 2024, the vandalism appeared to stop and the trail ran cold.
Then last Friday -- just two days after Von Clevenger's car window was shattered -- Forest Grove police arrested 28-year-old Caleb Spurlock, who was allegedly caught on camera using a slingshot, BBs and ball bearings to break windows while drivers were on the move.
Spurlock matched the description of a man caught on camera committing similar crimes. He's now facing more than 30 charges -- including unlawful use of a weapon, reckless endangering and assault -- for incidents that impacted at least a dozen victims.
"The moment before we arrested the suspect, he actually hit a vehicle," Colasurdo said. "When windows of some of the vehicles were shattered the people that were driving the vehicles, I also believe some passengers were actually hit by shattering glass. So that's what resulted in the assault charges. I imagine he would be facing a considerable amount of jail time if he is convicted."
Court documents obtained by KOIN 6 News show during the lengthy investigation, a suspect matching Spurlock's full name and birthdate was arrested and pleaded guilty to damaging a vehicle at the Cadillac of Portland dealership on February 27.
Records suggest he was released within 24 hours but was ultimately ordered to pay more than $7000 in restitution.
But, police said, that didn't stop Spurlock from striking in May.
"Once they started up again, we really dedicated some resources and officers and detectives to try to apprehend him," Colasurdo said.
Her passenger window is now replaced. But Cam Von Clevenger said the remnants from that night linger.
“In the child screen, there's like a hole from where the pellet or whatever the ball bearing went through," she said. “They said the only reason that the glass stayed the way it was is because of the laminate on my window. So if they would have got my driver's side window, it would have hit me. Like the glass would have come right out and I would have been hit. Just so scary and kind of an icky feeling.”