A Westland Terrace man has been arrested and charged with a dozen counts of malicious motor vehicle damage after Haverhill Police say he used a steak knife to puncture the tires of 12 neighbors in the overnight hours of July 4.
Surveillance footage of Patrick Tierney. (Courtesy photograph)
Midnight shift Patrolman George Dekeon was dispatched to Westland Terrance just before 7 a.m. on July 5 for a report of tires being slashed on one vehicle, only to find several other cars parked in driveways that had flat tires consistent with knife punctures.
After viewing neighbors’ surveillance footage, Dekeon determined a suspect—later identified as 31-year-old Patrick Tierney of 20 Westland Terrace—had carried a knife when he walked up to cars in driveways and punctured all four tires on each car. He also knocked over several plants and planters and a mailbox during the alleged crime spree.
Dekeon caught up with Tierney at his home a short time later, where he expressed remorse for his actions and said he threw the knife involved in the incident in a trash barrel in front of his home. Officer Daniel McDonald was able to locate a black-handled steak knife in the barrel as described, which matched the weapon shown on surveillance footage. When asked why he committed the crime, Tierney told Dekeon he “was hearing voices and having a bad day.”
Appearing in Haverhill District Court for arraignment July 5, Tierney is undergoing a mental health evaluation and competency ahead of his next court appearance later this month.