BILLINGS — At least seven mailboxes were damaged overnight along Poly Drive on Billings West End.
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Residents along Poly Drive near Zimmerman Trail said their mailboxes were ripped from their posts sometime during the night. Many discovered the damage early Friday morning and worked to repair their mailboxes throughout the afternoon.
“They're all broken. Pretty much it was somebody that was grabbing hold of the mailbox and ripping it off," said Larry Severeide, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than five years. "That is somebody that had some strength to them. I would like to know what was in their mind.”
Severeide said he noticed the damage shortly before 8 a.m. He estimated that at least three mailboxes were damaged in a row near his home, with additional mailboxes hit on the east side of Zimmerman Trail.
Residents said they were unsure exactly how many mailboxes were damaged, but all appeared to be in close proximity to the Poly Drive and Zimmerman Trail area.
Neighbors told MTN News they do not know why their mailboxes were targeted. One resident stated that the Billings police have looked into the incident.
“I think things seem to be going a little bit nuts right now. I think there's a lot of tension going around with people with what's going on in the country and everything. I can understand that the stress might have a factor," said Severeide. “Something I certainly wasn't expecting.”
This is not the first time mailboxes in Billings have been vandalized. MTN News previously reported similar incidents in the Billings Heights, where multiple mailboxes were damaged.
Because mailboxes are property of the U.S. Postal Service, damaging them is a federal crime. Those responsible could face fines of up to $250,000 and up to three years in prison.
