Bostonians slashed tires and egged cars over parking spots after snowstorm

Why it matters: Rising tensions in the Jan. 25 storm's aftermath put people's lives at risk, as in a Feb. 4 stabbing in Dorchester, and winter's not over yet.

Driving the news: At least one other person was arrested after allegedly brandishing a knife and slashing a neighbor's tires, according to police reports.

• Police responded to at least 34 confirmed car vandalism cases related to post-storm parking disputes and dozens of verbal disputes, including threats, in the two weeks after the snow emergency.
• Reports detailed tire slashings, broken windshields and sideview mirrors and egged cars.
• All of the reports reviewed by Axios were made well after the snow emergency ended, meaning locals could no longer legally plop space savers on the street or otherwise claim cleared parking spots.

Zoom in: A man in East Boston parked his car on Everett Street one night in early February and found his car covered in eggs and ketchup the next morning.

• He found a note on his car: "Next time don't park in my f–cking spot! Don't forget to put my spot saver back."
• Near the parking area, the man reported seeing a chair with someone's name on it that morning.

What they're saying: "It's just disappointing to hear that there are instances of or threats of violence or intimidation," said Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata, who represents East Boston, the North End and Charlestown.

• Coletta Zapata said she's heard stories of kindness, too — locals checking on elderly neighbors or offering help — but that the reports of vandalism and threats have since piled up.

• In one case, she said, trash collectors received threats when removing space savers, even though that's their job after a snow emergency ends.
• A Capitol Waste representative did not immediately respond to calls and an email seeking comment on Friday.
• Coletta Zapata requested a police detail for the collectors, but the company ultimately decided to hold off on the service.

The bottom line: Boston may not get a major storm like last month's again, but if it does, Coletta Zapata urges residents to take a breath.

• "We're all in this together," she says. "We're all dealing with the same conditions."