Couple Frustrated After North Potomac House Vandalized Four Times

A string of vandalism has struck the Belvedere neighborhood of North Potomac.

On Monday morning, Brenda and Stuart Kehr awoke to find their garden furniture and the contents of several bags of dirt in their pool, which they had just opened for the summer earlier the day before. Part of the fence in front of their home at the intersection of Split Creek Ct. and Travilah Rd. had been broken and removed, and the contents of their trash had been thrown on the street.

In addition, the Belvedere sign, across from the Kehr's house, was missing a pole and the shrubs in front of it had been dug up and thrown on the street.

But this was not the first time the Kehr's house had been targeted.

The most recent occurrence this past weekend, the fourth so far this year, has led the family to believe the targeting of their home is intentional, they told Patch.

On two occasions in January, poles were removed from the wooden fence in front of the Kehr's house and thrown into the middle of Travilah Road, part of the Belvedere sign was destroyed and ketchup and mustard were sprayed on the Kehr's front door.

On Saturday, May 14, the Kehr's house was hit again. This time Mrs. Kehr said she and her daughter were home around 9:30 p.m. when someone threw dozens of eggs at their front door. That night, she spotted someone wearing a hooded sweatshirt running from the house.

Mr. Kehr estimated the damages have cost the family around $5,000. They have had to replace part of the fence twice, and now will have to replace their pool filtration system.

Mrs. Kehr said the 60 residents of Belvedere have discussed getting private security or installing cameras. But for a large, loosely-organized community without an established homeowners association, it has been difficult to get everyone to commit to sharing the costly investment, she said.

Mr. and Mrs. Kehr reported each incident to Montgomery County Police, but, besides the initial house visit, they said there has been little response.

A Montgomery County Police spokesperson told Patch she was not able to comment on the case as it is an ongoing investigation.

"It occurred very recently. There is not a whole lot we can talk about," she said.

The Kehrs have also reported the incidents to , where their 16-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter attend school. They said they suspect teenagers are responsible for the vandalism and are concerned that their children may be targeted in school, too.

When questioned about Montgomery County Police's coordination with school officials on the investigation, the police spokesperson said only that the school officer at Wootton is aware of the incident.

The Kehrs are offering a $500 reward for anyone who comes forward with information about the incident that leads to an arrest. Contact Stuart Kehr at (301) 233-3829.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the cross street where the vandalism occurred. We regret the error.