Vandals strike another Seymour pool

SEYMOUR, Conn. (WTNH) -- Police are still trying to find out who is ripping into pool liners, ruining the summer for some Seymour residents.

One homeowner is "hot under the collar" and not just because he can't cool off. The Army vet says in slicing the liner, vandals are stealing his sense of freedom and safety.

In seconds, they sliced the pool liner, stealing the summer from John Duquette and his two teen daughters, who let dad hear their disappointment.

"I just keep hearing I want to go swimming, I want to go swimming, I want to go swimming," said Duquette, "well you can't because we don't have it."

They are not the first Seymour family left high and dry, they are actually the fourth this month to have a pool liner deliberately destroyed.

News 8 has been covering those incidents, prompting Namco to fix one for free.

Duquette thinks it will cost him some $2,000.

"Then the pool water itself is $820 dollars," said Duquette.

"Is that something you can afford right," asked News 8's Erin Cox.

"No," said Duquette.

Those other pool slashings happened on the other side of town, so this family never thought it would happen to them. Now they are actually considering installing surveillance cameras.

This time vandals picked the wrong guy though. Duquette is an Army vet, serving one tour in Iraq. He has a message for those who ripped his pool, and are ruining his summer.

"You better pray to God the cops find you before I do," he said.

News 8 went looking for answers, finding out detectives can't say for sure all the pool slicing in Seymour are the work of the same vandals.

Police are asking us to ask folks with information to come forward.

It all just stings on a beautiful summer day.

"On a day like this I'd be hoping to bask in the pool, relax, cool off before going to work," Duquette said, "but that is just not happening."