By:Jeff Lipton
Vandalism, tire slashings suddenly end in 5T lots
The spate of tire slashings and other acts of vandalism to cars in Hewlett, Woodmere and Oceanside that bewildered police for four months have come to a sudden halt, authorities said. Police believe the arrest of a group of youths in the area may have something to do with the crime spree coming to an end.
From Nov. 10 to March 5, a wave of criminal mischief was reported to Fourth Precinct police, and dozens of other incidents were carried out but not reported. The incidents centered around the H-4 and H-6 parking lots on Franklin Avenue, near Broadway in Hewlett, but also were reported in municipal lots in Woodmere and Oceanside. During the tail end of the spree, the vandalism was also taking place on the streets surrounding the lots.
Police received about 20 reports of tire slashings, many apparently carried out with an ice pick, and believe that at least another 20 went unreported. The incidents were occurring almost daily in February and early March. The vandalism spree included about 10 cars that had windows smashed, said Inspector George Gudmundsen, commanding officer of the Fourth Precinct.
Fed-up victims even suggested that authorities install security cameras in the parking lots to catch the culprits. "I got hit by them. My friend got hit by them," said one North Woodmere woman. "It's very frustrating and aggravating.
"If the situation is ongoing, it seems to me that surveillance cameras would apply. I think we have the specialized equipment to do it."
She said her friend's car was hit on March 5, when all four tires were flattened. Police said an ice pick was used in many instances.
"It's horrible, but what can you do about it? It's pretty miserable not being able to go home," she said.
In response, police officers in marked cars, as well as undercover officers, staked out the parking lots in hopes of catching those responsible. Crime Stoppers even offered a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest.
Police said that around 1 a.m. Sunday, March 4, three men were arrested and charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana. Officers Chris Randazzo and David Henenlotter, who were working undercover for the Fourth Precinct, observed the men crouching down by a vehicle and hiding between parked cars in the dimly lit area of municipal lot H-6, on the west side of Broadway, Gudmundsen said.
Arrested were John Cooke III, 20, of Grove Avenue in Cedarhurst, Brian J. Kinney, 20, of Haig Road in Valley Stream and Arturo Alcoba, 19, of Crescent Street in Hewlett. Kinney was found in possession of a forged Maryland driver's license and charged with forgery in the third degree and criminal use of drug paraphernalia, the inspector said. Alcoba was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and unlawful possession of marijuana, and Cooke was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, Gudmundsen said.
Police said the men could not be linked to the string of tire slashings, but since their arrests, such incidents have stopped. Since no one has been charged in the tire slashings, the cases remain open, Gudmundsen said.
"It has abated in a very big way," he said. "We're not saying these individuals are responsible. If they are not the ones who are responsible, then they are the associates of the ones who are responsible."
Lieutenant Larry Feffer of the Fourth Precinct said police initially did not realize the magnitude of the criminal mischief because many victims were not reporting that their tires had been slashed.
"We intensified patrols of the parking lots [after receiving reports]," said Feffer.
"Some people's auto was hit more than one time," he added. "We encourage people to report these things to us, even if they think it's a small thing. Otherwise, we can't effectively respond to the problem."
Gudmundsen said, "We put intense pressure in the area, with very aggressive policing practices. We tried to be as omnipresent as possible.
"It started in the parking lots and then surrounding areas and was spreading further," the inspector said. "It was creating a tremendous feeling of frustration, and we devoted many hours of patrol and surveillance to it. We are heartened by the fact that it has stopped."
On Thursday, March 15, police also arrested three 17-year-olds - Elan Luger of Atlantic Beach, Lee Bienstock of Lawrence and Yale Lipschik of Woodmere - and charged them with criminal mischief and criminal tampering after they allegedly went on a vandalism spree with a BB gun and a paintball gun in Woodmere, Cedarhurst, Lawrence and North Lawrence, police said. Since those arrests, such acts of vandalism have ceased, Gudmundsen said.
"It's just gone away," said Joe Gelb, president of the Hewlett Business Association.
