New Toledo police unit aims at downtown safety

Man, 22, charged with 6 counts of vandalism

Nick Haddad of Nick’s Barber Shop in downtown Toledo shows two of several rocks that were thrown through his store’s windows.

Nick Haddad’s downtown Toledo barbershop has been vandalized three times in the last eight days.

“I’ve replaced the windows three times already over the past week,” Mr. Haddad, 68, who owns and operates Nick’s Barber Shop, 605 Madison Ave., said Monday. “I felt horrible about it because it interrupts my business and inconveniences my customers.”

But his troubles might be over.

Sgt. Joe Heffernan, the Toledo police department’s public information officer, said Wednesday a suspect was arrested Tuesday in connection with those incidents following an investigation by a new Team Policing unit that is aimed at enhancing safety in the downtown, UpTown, and Warehouse District neighborhoods.

Christopher Carter, 22, of 556 Leach St., is charged with six counts of vandalism in the recent incidents that include the ones at Mr. Haddad’s business and at others in the unit (0-99), 200, and 300 blocks of North Erie Street, Sergeant Heffernan said.

Mr. Carter was arraigned Wednesday in Toledo Municipal Court on a vandalism charge and was ordered held at the Lucas County jail in lieu of $10,000 bond pending a preliminary hearing July 24, according to the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office.

The charge accuses Mr. Carter of breaking out a large window at 338 N. Erie St., which according to Lucas County land records belongs to Savoy Property Development, LLC.

Mr. Haddad has a collection of rocks that shattered his shop window, from the early afternoon of July 10, then from two incidents between Saturday morning and Monday morning, according to police reports. The largest rock appears to be a six-pound piece of concrete and asphalt.

Other downtown vandalism targets include Port Lawrence Title & Trust Co., 616 Madison, where a rock shattered a window early in the afternoon of July 10, and Magic Wok, 601 Adams St., where a rock was hurled in an earlier incident, also breaking a window.

Both locations are within walking distance of each other and the barber shop.

A police report said the vandalism at Port Lawrence was the third or fourth such case there in the last few months. Mr. Haddad said his barbershop was first vandalized by a rock thrower about two months ago.

Contact Mike Sigov at: sigov@theblade.com, 419-724-6089, or on Twitter @mikesigovblade.