In a mystery that sounds like something straight out of Ellery Queen, police in a mountain village have finally identified the culprit behind a series of punctured car tires. The transgressor targeted cars parked close to the fortified historic center of Vastogirardi, a village in the Molise region of Italy that’s home to about 600 residents. The tires of some vehicles were targeted on more than one occasion, leaving villagers wondering whether a vendetta between neighbors or even the mafia was to blame. Four more reports of punctured tires — all parked in the same area — came in a few months later, prompting police to begin patrolling the area dressed as civilians. As the plot thickened, police mounted surveillance cameras, and before long they found the culprit — a dog named Billy. Billy lives close to where the cars were parked and was captured on camera biting into the tires of several cars. A local vet said that Billy’s behavior was the result of a severe case of gingivitis, which made him gnaw at the tires to relieve the pain. Billy’s owner has not only addressed Billy's dental issue with the vet, but has offered to pay for all the damages to the car tires.
