AKRON, Ohio — Two boys have been arrested by Akron police after allegedly damaging multiple vehicles in Summit County.
Authorities say the incident happened on Tuesday just after 6 p.m., when the suspects threw rocks over the 27th Street Bridge onto Interstate 76 West in Kenmore. As a result, at least nine vehicles sustained broken windshields and other damage due to the "reckless behavior."
Additionally, one woman was injured after being struck in the eye by shattered glass. EMS was called to the scene and the victim was treated for a minor injury.
The woman's boyfriend, Tom Maxwell, was the one driving the car. He says the pair were driving home from the grocery store and heading home to cook dinner before watching the vice presidential debate when the vehicle was struck by "multiple" rocks.
Maxwell tells 3News it took first responders 20 minutes to flush out his girlfriend's eyes with saline. While investigating the incident, officers found the boys — a 9-year-old and 11-year-old — who were allegedly responsible.
"We've seen that they were with kids. I mean, kids do stupid things," Maxwell said. "We asked them, 'What were you guys thinking?'"
Both suspects were later released to their parents/guardians on charges of vehicular vandalism and criminal damaging. The case has been referred to the Summit County Juvenile Court for review.
As for Maxwell, he's currently serving in the U.S. Navy and due for deployment. While he doesn't plan on pressing charges against the kids' parents, he says this is the last thing he wants to worry about.
"I'm within 30 days of leaving, and I didn't want to have to deal with getting the car fixed or spending more money than we need to," he explained, adding that he and his girlfriend will also likely have to worry about medical bills.
For now, he just hopes the boys learn a valuable lesson.