NORTH HIGHLANDS, Calif. — A North Highlands neighborhood is living in fear and frustration after their homes and cars have been targeted with BB guns.
Some people have been victims on multiple occasions — and they are fed up.
In the last few weeks more than 30 residents have been targeted. It has the community on edge and looking to take matters into their own hands.
In the Larchmont Village neighborhood in North Highlands, a sense of security has been lost.
As kids play at the park, Lila is looking over her shoulder more checking on her son.
James Carson is pausing to check his security cameras.
It's a neighborhood riddled with broken windows and other damage to their homes — all caused by BB guns.
“What are we supposed to board up our windows?” said Lila. “To me it could be just as simple as kids messing around with a BB gun but it can also be as serious as someone preparing a drive by."
Lila’s 7-year-old son’s bedroom window was shattered out from the center.
“He’s young so he’s not grasping how dangerous it could be,” said Lila.
The damage to their window doesn’t meet the deductible on their insurance policy, so instead of buying their son a laptop this year for school, they’ll be buying him new windows.
James Carson says he had multiple car windows shot out, replaced, only for it to happen again leaving new damages. Tools were also stolen from his car. He says he's paid nearly $7,000 in damages to replace everything.
“There’s a lot [of BB guns] that resemble real fire arms and I know there have been a few people that have lost their lives over such an item and I know it’s tough for law enforcement to differentiate between the two,” said Carson.
Sergeant Amar Gandhi with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office says they have received reports of BB gun related incidents.
“If it is, in fact, a real gunshot, we want to take that even further if it is a BB gun vandalism we will still investigate it we will still take that report,” said Gandhi.
Neighbors want those reports to translate to more patrols.
Until then, they’re taking matters into their own hands they are discussing forming a neighborhood watch.
Neighbors in the area also say they have been shot at with BB guns by people driving by.
The Sacramento County Sheriff also says they’ve received reports of people shooting BB guns at homeless people.
The Sacramento County Sheriff currently says there are no leads so they encourage everyone to call in and report incidents.