50 Cars Vandalized While Residents Slept in Scarsdale

(Tuesday September 3 at 3 pm) Police quickly learned that something was wrong, very wrong, in the early morning hours of Labor Day when their phone started to ring off the hook. Beginning at 6:30 am, they received calls every few minutes, with over 50 coming in over the course of what should have been a sleepy holiday morning. As residents woke up, they discovered that their car windows had been smashed. Some reported that not one, but two cars were vandalized, and they found that their neighbors were in the same boat.

As reports came in, police realized that vandals had swept entire streets, smashing windows and attempting to enter cars. In many instances though car windows were broken, residents found that nothing was missing. Even golf clubs were left in the cars. Or in another incident a stolen briefcase was found tossed on a neighbor’s lawn. The damage seemed senseless.

Even more perplexing was the fact that the incidents took place within feet of the police station which sits at the corner of Fenimore and Post Roads. Many of the incidents took place on Ridgecrest West, North and East, a street that lies directly behind the station. Hardest hit were Brewster Road, Dobbs Terrace, Greenacres Avenue and Ridgecrest East, North and West. Farther afield, incidents were reported on Mamaroneck Road, Mohican Trail, Brookfiled Lane and Deerfield Road.

Furthermore, police later learned that residents’ video cameras recorded that the spree took place between 3 and 6 am, but no one called to report the sound of breaking glass.

In total, there were 52 incidents reported, and by our count, 49 car windows smashed. Another 7 callers said they had some video footage to share with the police, but it is not known whether anyone recorded identifying information on the perpetrator’s car or cars.

Was it one car or several? One resident’s video report shows three people running toward their home.

Police have detectives on the case and are investigating. Anyone with information should call police at 914-722-1200.

And, if you have a garage, keep your cars inside!

(Photo Credit Linda Shin)