Police say they were flooded with tip calls after incriminating YouTube videos were posted on 6abc.com and other sites Tuesday and featured by media outlets including Action News. The tip calls helped police identify one of the suspects, who called 911 and surrendered to officers from South Detectives at 11:25pm Tuesday.
The suspect who is a juvenile, will be charged with vandalism and related charges. His arrest photo can not be released due to his age.
Two other suspects are still at large.
The group has been going on rampages through working class neighborhoods, leaving behind a trail of destruction and something els as well: video evidence.
"They're actually videotaping themselves doing these crimes," Lt. Ray Evers of the Philadelphia Police Department said.
Police didn't have to spend hours tracking down video of the vandals in action, nor did they have to go to court for a subpoena.
The vandals posted it online where anyone can find it. They call themselves Wreck Locals.
They leave the letters 'W' and 'L' spray-painted on cars.
But, they don't stop there.
They jump on the hoods and kick in windshields.
When they're not out there trashing private property, they're mugging for the camera.
"They are boasting about it. They are putting it on YouTube; they're making fun of what's going on, they have a Facebook page and they link their Facebook page to YouTube which shows the other vandalisms and criminal mischief that they're doing," Lt. Evers said.
Two days after Christmas they were caught on surveillance video on the 2000 block of South Etting Street in South Philadelphia.
They went down the block causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to parked cars and houses.
They spray painted 'W-L' on the side of a house.
John Sica's car was damaged in the South Etting Street incident.
"It's just nuts. If you're going to do a crime like that and put yourself on film doing it, you're just asking to be caught," Sica said.
Since then the police have been following their trail on the web.
Sources say the suspects, who appear to be teenagers, could be responsible for almost a dozen acts of vandalism.
Benjamin Guyon's car was heavily damaged on the same block a few weeks ago.
Investigators are trying to figure out if the same suspects committed the crime.
"[I'm] really angry because I have a 4-year-old daughter so I had to deprive her of Christmas presents because I had to get my car right," Guyon said.
While it appears these teens want to be the next stars of YouTube, police say the only thing they've earn themselves is some time behind bars.
"Most of the crimes, especially the one on Etting Street, is over $2,000 worth of damage; now, we're dealing with felonies here. So we're going to get these kids locked up, right away, and really, really teach them a lesson because, I guarantee you, any judge they go in front is going to put them away for a long period of time," Lt. Evers aid.
Police are still chasing down leads, but if you have any information about the crimes or the young men in the video, call South Detectives at 215-686-3013.
