WASHINGTON - Some bus riders found a big mess when they arrived at their local bus stop Monday morning. Police say someone shattered the glass at 27 bus stop shelters across the District.

Authorities say the damage is extensive, with more than two dozen brand new, state-of-the-art bus shelters across D.C. vandalized sometime this weekend. The glass panes were shattered but at this point, no one knows how it happened.

The shelters are made with safety glass and officials say it's extremely difficult to break. They say whoever committed these crimes had to use something that could exert a lot of force. And so many shelters were hit in such a short amount of time, officials believe it may be the work of the same person or persons

"It seems to us that it's most likely the same people responsible for all of them," said John Lisle of the D.C. Department of Transportation (web | news) .

Metropolitan police will be handling the investigation. They say the damaged bus shelters are located across the city from Upper Northwest across the Potomac and into Southeast.

Clear Channel, the company that began installing the shelters two years ago, said the first damage reports started coming in Sunday and then Monday the number of vandalized shelters passed the two dozen mark.

"It doesn't make sense to me," said Joy Spears, a commuter.

"I guess somebody feels like they've got to leave their mark on D.C. instead of doing it in a productive way," added Michelle Fox, a commuter.

If it was a prank, it going to expensive one. Although it's too early to say exactly, officials estimate the final repair bill will be in tens of thousands.

Beyond providing shelter to riders from sun, wind, and rain, the glass covered stands are meant to improve the overall look of a neighborhood.

"It's really unfortunate that somebody would vandalize even one of them and we hope that they're caught," said Lisle.

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