LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — When Jeffrey Todd moved into a home on State Street before the fall semester began, he couldn't believe the deal he was getting.
"We found a cheap two-bedroom house for rent and said, 'How? Why would this be so cheap in monthly rent?' and then we figured out what State Street is!"
What Todd didn't realize was that he had just moved into what is traditionally the rowdiest street near the University of Kentucky after big wins. Saturday night, after the Wildcats beat the University of Florida Gators, Todd got his first taste of the post-game atmosphere on State Street.
"It was kind of surreal," he said.
On the other hand, some people move there looking for that atmosphere.
"Sometimes it's exciting. Other times, it's a little nerve-wracking, I guess," said Marlayna Nicholson.
Nicholson enjoys the excitement of celebrating with neighbors after a big win. What she didn't expect Saturday night, though, was just how rowdy that crowd would be. She said they crossed a line she hadn't seen before. After the fans burned couches, a group of them flipped a car that was parked along the street.
"Yeah, that was a surprise," she said.
Lexington Police are now trying to find the people responsible for property damage and criminal mischief. They're reviewing pictures and video of the scene and they say they expect to file charges. Nicholson says she's in favor of that.
"Someone has to be held responsible," she said.
Todd agreed.
"You know what you're getting into when you do something like that and I don't think there should be any free passes for gameday or whatever when there's other Americans who are being punished much more harshly for potentially, depending on the context, less severe crimes," Todd said.
With a lot of games left this season, they're going to make sure they keep their things safe.
"This one's new!" Nicholson said of the couch on her front porch. "We got it off Wayfair not too long ago on sale. Very nice. I was a little nervous for it. I told him, we might have to go back and check on my couch and there was a car in front, so we were checking on that too," she said.
Todd plans stay out of it altogether.
"Just stay inside. Stay inside and watch a movie!" he said.
Lexington Police asked that anyone who has video of the events on State Street or knows the identities of people who damaged property reach out to them at (859) 258-3600, call Bluegrass Crime Stoppers anonymously at (859) 253-2020, or submit tips online at www.p3tips.com
