ALEDO, Ill. — Two area car washes were vandalized and stolen from sometime Monday night in Aledo and Viola.
According to police, Pep’s Auto Bath in Aledo and Southards Car Wash in Viola were targets. Both washes were hit sometime between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. In both instances, a suspect or suspects damaged the coin-operated mechanism inside a wash bay, causing considerable damage. The coin box from Pep’s was completely removed and taken away.
Det. Tony Baugh of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department said it’s likely the damage from the vandalism is greater than the amount of change stolen, noting that the coin boxes accept quarters only.
Mercer County Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect in the vandalism and burglary. All tips are anonymous. The tip line is 800-582-2762.
