Vandals hit another vehicle early Wednesday morning in what has become a recurring problem in Fort St. John.

“We received a complaint on some youths checking door handles,” said Cst. Greig of the Fort St. John RCMP, “which has been an ongoing issue in town.”

Three youths, described as being in their mid to late teens and all intoxicated, were witnessed checking vehicles’ door handles on 97th Ave near 98th Street. One of them took it to another level, damaging a vehicle and breaking its rear window.

“When we were down there, we were able to locate three subjects, and we had a witness who said that he saw one of the youths breaking into and damaging a vehicle," said Greig.

That person has since been arrested and released with a charge of mischief. Another member of the group was arrested, but was charged on grounds unrelated to the car vandalism.

“Normally we don’t find them damaging the vehicles,” said Greig. “We normally just see them checking door handles to see if the vehicle is unlocked. If the door handle is unlocked, they rummage through the vehicle to see if there’s anything of value and take those items.”

He said it’s been a problem in all areas of town, not just a few concentrated spots.

Residents are advised to keep valuables out of sight in vehicles, and to contact the police if they witness suspicious activity.