Broken glass litters streets on Milwaukee's east side after suspects smash into several cars

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Shattered auto glass litters several streets in Milwaukee's East Side neighborhood after suspects smashed into cars over the weekend.

Dozens of drivers now have to pay up as they await repairs.

The damage is scattered over several streets. At least nine cars were hit on a single block, but police still don't have anyone in custody.

Nick Reiels' window was smashed. He said, "You could hear the window crack. Looks like they might have had a crowbar or something to break it."

He says the suspects were in and out in less than two minutes. It was 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning, and Reiels didn't hear a thing. He says surveillance video taken from across the alley shows three teens wandering around, looking in his car, then smashing the window. Nick's broken window is covered by insurance, and will cost a $50 deductible to get it fixed.

Police told him it's common. Reiels said, "The policeman I was talking to had the same issue where his window got hit."

Nick was one of many drivers waking up to broken glass this weekend after suspects broke windows throughout the east side.

It happened outside the Red Lion, Eagle Park Brewing, and all along Pearson.

Many people throughout the neighborhood told us off camera nothing was taken, but they're still inconvenienced and they have to pay up.

Nick says there doesn't seem to be a way to avoid it. "If there was an option to lease a garage spot, I think that's the best way to go. But they're pretty far and few between."

So he recommends people get in touch with neighbors on social media before they move to a neighborhood, to "get the feel for what it's like living there. Common advice is don't keep anything valuable in your car."

Police said it is possible many other cars were impacted because not everyone may have filed a police report.