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Palmerton man admits damaging vehicles

A Carbon County man admitted vandalizing two vehicles in separate incidents, causing extensive damages.

Tyler Robert Billings, 23, of Palmerton, pleaded guilty on Thursday in the county court to two counts of criminal mischief before Judge Steven R. Serfass and was sentenced to a county prison term.Billings was charged by Palmerton police for causing damages to a vehicle owned by a resident of the 200 block ofLehigh Avenue on Sept. 20, 2015. Then on Sept. 22, 2015, he damaged a vehicle owned by Hagar Furniture at 242 Delaware Ave. Damages to the first vehicle totaled $3,188.48 and to the Hagar vehicle, $1,158.32.Billings claimed he did the acts while under the influence of alcohol.He said, "I want to make it plain that I'm extremely sorry for what happened."The first victim asked the court to impose the maximum sentence. She said she felt Billings was only sorry because he got caught. She said Billings scratched symbols into the paint of her car, something she said took time and was not something a person would do under the influence of alcohol.Serfass agreed.He said, "It makes absolutely no sense to do something like this. After the first incident, you sobered up and did it again."Billings is currently serving a six-month prison term for a probation violation, which occurred when he was arrested for the mischief incidents.He told the court his release date is Feb. 24.Serfass sentenced him to serve three to one day less 12 months in prison on each count, running concurrently, but consecutive to his probation sentence, followed by one year of probation.Billings was also ordered to make total restitution of $4,356.73, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, render a total of 100 hours of community service when released on parole, pay court costs of about $1,000, and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole and probation.