Squirrel identified as culprit in vandalism of college professor's bicycle

A case of vandalism was solved when a squirrel was caught vandalising a maths professor's bicycle at Iowa Lakes Community College. Matt Strom, Associate Professor of Mathematics, reported that on Wednesday, Oct. 23, he rode his bike to the Estherville campus – just like he does most days. He parked it in the rack, locked it and walked inside to begin his day. Sometime between 6:30am and 4:30pm, somebody vandalised it.

The bike had a broken headlight and taillights, one tyre ruined, and a sticky substance left on it. On Thursday morning, Strom decided to ask colleagues at the Estherville campus if anyone had seen anything suspicious the previous day. “Since this happened in broad daylight in a fairly busy area, there is a decent chance somebody saw something,” Strom wrote in his email to fellow faculty members and staff. “If you come across any information, let me know.”



By early-afternoon on Thursday, the suspect was caught in the act. Strom explained to colleagues: “The bicycle vandal returned today. The monster tore up the seat and flattened the front tyre, again in broad daylight. I called the police. They came out, took some pictures, and are filing a report…” Shortly after the call to the police department, the answer to all this destruction became perfectly clear – right in broad daylight – when Aviation/Airport Management co-coordinator and Chief Flight Instructor Ron Duer came upon the scene.

“Ron Duer caught the perpetrator in the act and even got a picture,” Strom wrote in a further email. “It was the meanest squirrel you have ever seen. I was wondering why a vandal wouldn’t just kick in the spokes or something,” Strom said. “The squirrel …did all the damage to soft material with … teeth. Over two days of squirrel madness I’m out two tyres, a bike seat, a headlight and taillight (the lights had silicone buttons or rubber gaskets that the squirrel attacked). It’s a relief to know what happened and not be left wondering ‘What kind of a person would do such a thing, and are they still around doing more bad things?’”