A medical helicopter in the High Desert in Southern California was grounded Sunday but it wasn't because of weather or mechanical issues. It was due to vandalism.
While the crew rested in the Hesperia Airport hangar, vandals sprayed graffiti on both sides of the helicopter, KCAL reported adding that the green, gold, silver and orange paint even covered the windows.
San Bernardino County fire oficials said wait times for trauma patients will inevitably be increased because of the incident. And, until it's cleared for liftoff again, first responders will be left to rely on Mercy Air ships coming from another location.
Mercy Air officials issued a statement following the incident: "To thoroughly assess and restore the aircraft, we placed the Hesperia Air Medical Base out of service while our local team works diligently to remove the graffiti and inspect for any additional damage. In the meantime, we continue supporting Hesperia and the surrounding High Desert communities with our three other nearby Mercy Air bases."
Angry residents told reporters that with so many bad crashes on the roads leading into, through and out of the area, a matter of minutes can literally mean life or death.
