COLFAX, WA – Pullman’s serial tire slasher has received the maximum jail sentence for senselessly causing thousands of dollars in damage on College Hill.
Benjamin Rinehart was convicted of felony vandalism by a Whitman County Superior Court Jury during his trial last month. Rinehart was arrested by Pullman Police in January after he was caught on surveillance camera slashing the tires on a vehicle parked on Spaulding Street. It was the second time in a week that Rinehart slashed the tires on that same vehicle. The woman who owned that car set up a camera to watch it after she was victimized and bought new tires.
The conviction involved four victims who had their tires slashed by Rinehart. Pullman Police suspected that he slashed the tires on dozens of vehicles in the Spaulding Street area last winter. Officers and prosecutors could never determine why Rinehart slashed the tires.
During sentencing on Friday Judge Roger Sandberg asked Rinehart why he did it and he chose to not answer. Judge Sandberg handed down the maximum sentence in this case, three months in jail and called the vandalism spree senseless. You can listen to some of that ruling from the judge below.
Judge Sandberg ordered that Rinehart pay nearly 2,500 dollars in restitution to the victims. He was placed on probation for a year and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and comply with any treatment recommendations. Judge Sandberg also ruled that Rinehart cannot convert any portion of his jail sentence to community service and placed him in custody at the end of Friday’s hearing. Rinehart’s victims were neighbors who lived in his apartment complex.
