Mike Hixenbaugh: VIRGINIA BEACH
The man in the grainy surveillance footage strides through the sleepy cul-de-sac with purpose, like someone in command of his own destiny.
Freeze the frame, zoom in close. His eyes tell a different story: wide, unblinking, confused.
He has lost all control.
The disabled veteran had been coming unhinged for months. Security cameras installed by his neighbors captured him that night as he hit bottom.
It was about 1 a.m., a few days after Thanksgiving last year.
He had come to spray paint their houses. Earlier in the week, he had shattered their car windows. Later, he was prepared to take more drastic measures – whatever it took to send a message.
He was convinced that …
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