Authorities are investigating after someone slashed the tires of 27 cars sometime last night or early this morning in the west Bradenton area.

The tires were slashed in The Crossings subdividion, located in the 6500 block of 29th Avenue West.  The slashings happened overnight, and police started getting reports Thursday morning.

Resident Frank Riecker said he learned about the slashings when he received a call from a neighbor.

"I walked outside, brand-new car, all four tires," he said. "You can see the puncture in the side of the walls. Looks like about a 3/4-inch wide knife."

In some cases, one tire was slashed, but for others, it was several.

Stefani Hamilton said this was particularly difficult for her, as her husband was just in an accident that totaled their other car. Now her back-up car has two flats.

"I was in shock," she said. "I was trying to get to my husband's back surgery this morning after his bad car accident, and I had to wait to get there and have a friend come and take me, and now me and my kids are stuck with no car."

Many of the cars had to be towed away for repairs, while some of the owners were fixing their tires on their own. Some of the car owners say insurance may not even be an option.

"I was just writing down the make and model of my tires, and since I'm hope for work with an injury I'm going to make a couple of calls and shop it around," Riecker said. "But after deductibles it's still going to cost us money out of pocket. Not what you want to do, you know?"

As for Hamilton, she says that with her husband hospitalized and children to take care of, she's going to have to rely on friends and neighbors to help her out.

"We have nothing right until until we can get it fixed," she said.

Police say some cars were also keyed but none of them were broken into. They are trying to find out if anyone in the neighborhood has surveillance video in the vandalism.

No arrests have been made.

If you know any information, call Crimestoppers at 1-866-634-TIPS (8477).

Earlier reports indicated that the tires of nearly 200 cars had been slashed, but those reports were incorrect.