Man smashed windows of several Downtown Merced businesses, police say

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- Businesses in Downtown Merced were cleaning up Wednesday, hours after a man smashed their windows.

Investigators say that 23-year-old Nathan Porter of Modesto had just arrived from Modesto shortly before he allegedly committed the crime that was caught on camera.

Porter had just come from Modesto on a bus.

Merced Police Captain Bimley West said, "He wasn't very livid, as far as his way of thinking."

Business owners say what is strange is that the Porter did not take anything.

One of the shattered doors was being repaired on Wednesday.

Kat Vrabec of Vanity Rose Salon says her window will cost almost 400 dollars to fix, and that's on top of what she already pays to keep her business up and running.

"We pay double taxes as anyone else in the community to have a business downtown."

Some business owners say they've been victims of vandalism before, but Shanita Scoggins of Tuluz Beauty Salon says this is the first time she's dealt with anything like this.

"We need to see more lighting down here, these lights have been off for 11 years since I have been her. More security, more cameras, whatever it is to protect us."

Merced Police say with the complaints they get downtown; they have recently been trying to increase their presence in the area.

Meanwhile, investigators still are not sure what caused Porter to damage the property, and can not confirm if he is a transient.

He was booked into the Merced County Jail and faces five felony counts for each of the businesses he damaged.

Police can not yet confirm if Porter was on any drugs or alcohol when he smashed the windows.