BILLINGS— A Billings nonprofit is facing approximately $3,000 in damages after one of their vans was found vandalized Wednesday morning.
An employee from Eagle Mount Billings had been filling the van up with gas on the way to a group skiing activity, when fuel started leaking out of the tank. The employee pulled into Willard’s Garage, where she discovered someone had drilled into the gas tank the night before.
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“There was a trail of gas the whole way down Broadwater,” said Eagle Mount Executive Director Lynn Mullowney Cabrera.
The damage costs are adding up to approximately $3,000, but with insurance, Eagle Mount will pay $1,000.
“Our community is so powerful and so caring. So, a lot of just words of encouragement, words of frustration, which we share. But also, we have some people reach out and say, I want to help pay the deductible on the vehicle, which was a thousand dollars. Thankfully, we're really close to having secured those dollars,” said Mullowney Cabrera.
The vandalism is a setback for Eagle Mount, which provides activities for children and adults with disabilities. The van accommodates passengers with wheelchairs.
“It definitely puts a cramp in our plans for the immediate future, you know, through the middle of February where we can get it back and make sure we're at full capacity again,” said Mullowney Cabrera.
The repair time could take weeks due to the unique fuel tank the vehicle requires, but that time could decrease to days if a tank is found locally.
“Being a van and being a mobility van, it's a little bit different than a regular pickup or a regular car. We don't have a lot of them in this area like this, so we got to find that particular make and model to be able to put a new gas tank in there for them,” said Ed Melcher, owner of Willard’s Garage, where the van is getting repaired.
The van is a 2014 Chevrolet Express.
“Take a look and call us and we'll tell you whether it's going to transfer over or not,” said Melcher.
If you have a fuel tank that fits the description, you can call Willard’s Garage at (406) 259-1472.
A report has been filed with the Billings Police Department, but no suspects have been identified as of Thursday afternoon.
