Vandals give residents rude awakening

Fuente myheraldnews.com

Lamentamos lo sucedido topito, esperamos que esos vandalos sean apresados...:

By MICHAEL J. FEENEY, STAFF WRITER | 07/03/08 02:01 AM
Cars, homes hit in three towns

Some Saddle Brook, Lodi and Garfield residents either awoke Wednesday morning to damaged vehicles or homes, or they heard the vandals at work in the middle of the night.

Aristedes Almonte just moved into what he thought was a quiet neighborhood on Lodi's Pasadena Avenue two days ago. But after he got into his 2005 Mercedes S430, he found that its rear window had been shattered.

"Is this normal?" he asked police.

No, they said.

Almonte said he got a $5,490 damage estimate. And he missed work Wednesday.

"I have to take this car to get fixed. I'm losing money," Almonte said.

"Whoever did this, I hope the police get them. Give them jail."

Almonte's neighbor, Angelo Tempio, said he heard laughter and what he thought were kids running around at 3 a.m. "My wife looked outside, but she didn't see anybody," he said.

A few hours later, Tempio's daughter told him his car had minor damage.

Two rock-throwing incidents were reported in Saddle Brook on Catherine Avenue, said police Lt. James Galbo. One stone was thrown at a car, damaging a rear taillight and side fender, and another was thrown at a house, he said.

Galbo said whoever did the damage used decorative landscaping stones.

"They picked [the stones] up from the area," he said.

In Garfield, three residents reported damage caused by three separate lion statues being tossed at their cars or their house, police said.

The front window of a home on Manner Avenue was smashed.

And the windshields of two vehicles -- one on Emanuel Street and another on William Street -- were battered, said police Lt. Jim Gilhooley.

He said the first call came in at 4:15 a.m., about 15 minutes before Saddle Brook police heard about their vandalism.

"Whatever they could find on the street, they decided to toss," said Gilhooley.

He added that it's possible the Garfield incidents are connected to the reports in Saddle Brook and Lodi.

Residents whose automobiles or homes were damaged Wednesday have been asked to contact the police department in their town.