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Beach man took action to stop vandals from bashing mailboxes with baseball bats

Posted at 12:13 AM, Dec 07, 2012
and last updated 2012-12-07 07:03:50-05

Virginia Beach. Va. - Mailboxes were smashed along Marlene Street in Virginia Beach.

Brandon Hutchins saw two men walking up and down the street with baseball bats.

He took action to stop it.

"I was upset because someone had the nerve to come into the neighborhood and do that," Hutchins said. "Not to just one mailbox but several. And the fact that they thought they could get away with that was a little disturbing."

Hutchins got in his car and chased the two vandals following them down South Lynnhaven Road and even getting on the interstate!

"Got close enough I was trying to snap a picture and couldn't because you know with the iPhone it kind of gets blurry," Hutchins said.

Hutchins called it quits after five minutes. He was able to call 911 and give police the suspects' license plate number.

He returned home to a smashed mailbox, the sight of it does more than frustrates Hutchins' father-in-law, an Army vet.

"I put 31 years of my life on the line to protect these people and people come up out here and tear up your stuff that you worked so hard for. That's what frustrates me," said Gene Espquillo.

A few mailboxes were hit late Wednesday night. Luvenia Roulhac has lived on Marlene Street for half of her 83 years.

Her mailbox is vital to her, especially near the holidays. It's her outlet to the rest of the world.

"At my age, I don't be emailing and stuff like that the young people do," Roulhac said.