Cops: Beware of other slashers

DESPITE THE ARREST of a 21-year-old Mayfair man on charges of slashing tires in Northeast Philadelphia, police Tuesday said residents shouldn't let their guard down yet - the person responsible for much of the recent vandalism may still be on the loose.

"I think we have several copycats going on at the same time," said Capt. John McGinnis, commander of Northeast Detectives.

Quincy Kramer, of Englewood Street near Rowland Avenue, is charged with criminal mischief and vandalism. He allegedly flattened nine tires in Oxford Circle on Thursday night. He was held on $45,000 bail.

Police are still investigating, but said they do not think that Kramer is linked to the other tire slashings that have bedeviled the Northeast since October.

Even as cops were announcing Kramer's arrest, they were probing another set of slashings, this time on Walker Street in Holmesburg. Residents of that block, however, said that they knew of only two tires that might have been slashed. Also, one tire on Aldine Street near Erdrick was slashed Tuesday morning, police said.

Since October, tires have been slashed on about 80 vehicles, many in Holmesburg/Mayfair. Much of the damage has been concentrated on Aldine and Teesdale streets, where some vehicles have been hit more than once.

Kramer was recorded by a surveillance video Thursday near Cottman and Rowland avenues that filmed him walking up to a car and slashing a tire, police said..