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• Fourth man arrested in Dunn Co. mail box smashing spree

A fourth man has been arrested in connection with a mail box smashing and car vandalism spree in southern Dunn County and the city of Menomonie.

Romeo Salinas, Jr. 18, was arrested on Monday, according to Dunn County Sheriff Dennis Smith.

Dunn County authorities had previously arrested Shane Hovind, 18; Christopher Scott, 18; and Matthew Federito, 17.

All four are from Menomonie and all were arrested for felony criminal property damage and misdemeanor criminal property damage.

Smith estimated that the cost of damage to the mailboxes alone was over $3,800.

The men are accused of smashing over 160 mailboxes in the southern part of Dunn County and in the city of Menomonie in a spree that lasted from the night of March 12 through early morning hours of March 14.

According to Smith, damages to the mailboxes alone totaled approximately $3,800.

In addition to the smashed mailboxes the men are accused of damaging cars.

Smith said that there were two cars damaged in Dunn County and eight in Menomonie. Most of the damage to the vehicles was smashed windows.

The break in the case came in the early morning of March 17 when a Dunn County deputy stopped a Mazda Prot g in Menomonie.

The deputy requested assistance of the Menomonie police department's K-9 unit and once the vehicle was searched bats were found in the trunk, according to Dennis Beety, Menomonie police chief.

A male occupant of the car was then identified as a suspect in the vandalism spree and was arrested for criminal damages to property.

Other arrests followed, however Smith said that Salinas was not in town at the time of the other arrests.

He added that no other suspects have been identified in the case.