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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Fourth teenaged suspect charged in connection with vandalism at Tarrytown Lighthouse
A fourth suspect has been charged as a juvenile in connection with a vandalism and arson incident at Sleepy Hollow's historic Tarrytown Lighthouse, the Westchester County Police said June 6. The accused, a 17-year-old boy, was the last suspect sought by police. Authorities have said they are withholding identifying the suspect because of his age. The other suspects accused are Elvin Ayavaca, 18, of White Plains and Richard Barrero, 19, of Harrison, who were each charged with third-degree arson, third-degree burglary and second-degree criminal mischief, all felonies, a police news release said earlier on Friday, June 6. They were arraigned in Sleepy Hollow Village Court. Another suspect, also a 17-year-old, was charged last week as a juvenile and arraigned in the Youth Part of Westchester County Court. Police said he is also not being identified due to his age. A preliminary estimate put damages at about $100,000, but that could change. Westchester's parks department is making a detailed assessment of the lighthouse damage. The damage at the lighthouse — listed on the National Register of Historic Places— occurred on May 31 and included: Significant fire damage to first-floor flooring. Multiple broken windows on first and second floors. Multiple items destroyed, including valuable antiques, other furniture and items of historical significance. Damage to about 35 antique books that were removed from shelves and strewn about the floor. A county parks employee arrived the morning of Saturday, May 31, to get the lighthouse, which began operation in 1883, ready for tours. The employee could see some smoldering and smoke and notified the parks and recreation department and police, according to the police. Sleepy Hollow police and firefighters extinguished a small fire. County police officers also responded and subsequently turned the investigation over to detectives. The lighthouse damage comes after the county finished a capital project to renovate it, which started in 2022. Renovation included new paint, repairing of caisson cracks, replacing windows and doors, cleaning and re-pointing of the foundation masonry, refurbishing interior plaster, restoring the wood floors, and rebuilding the intermediate landing between the bridge and gangway. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Tarrytown Lighthouse vandalism: Police charge fourth teenaged suspect
New York Post
4 days ago
- New York Post
3 teens arrested for trashing and burning historic Sleepy Hollow lighthouse in ‘heartbreaking' fire
Three teens have been arrested for trashing and setting fire to the beloved historic Sleepy Hollow lighthouse in a 'heartbreaking' attack just a year after its multimillion-dollar renovation, according to officials. Baby-faced firebugs Elvin Ayavaca, 18, of White Plains and Richard Barrero, 19, of Harrison, along with an unidentified 17-year-old, caused at least $100,000 in damage to the charming 142-year-old landmark, the Westchester County Police said in a press release Friday. The trio was charged with arson, burglary and criminal mischief after getting caught on camera strolling over a bridge leading to the lighthouse Saturday, according to police. A fourth suspect is still at large. Advertisement Four suspects were captured on camera allegedly walking over a bridge leading to the lighthouse Saturday. Westchester County Police The young suspects are accused of hopping a locked fence at the 'cherished' lighthouse at around 3:30 a.m., then smashing a window and climbing into the towering red-and-white structure. Once inside, they allegedly lit parts of the bottom floor, which is set up as a museum, and damaged antique furniture and at least 35 precious books. Advertisement The vandalism came a year after the county unveiled a $3.4 million renovation of the lighthouse's interior, including a restoration of its historic spotlight. The destruction sparked local outrage and plenty of police tips, Westchester County Police Public Information Officer Kieran O'Leary told The Post on Wednesday. The teens were arraigned in Sleepy Hollow Village Court on the felony charges, according to police, who said they aren't naming the 17-year-old because he's a juvenile. The teens allegedly trashed antique furniture and set the lighthouse on fire. Westchester County Police Advertisement Built in 1883, the lighthouse at Kingsland Point Park once housed a family on the banks of the Hudson River and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. 'It's disappointing, and it's heartbreaking to see this kind of damage that was just completely unnecessary,' Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said in News 12 footage earlier this week. O'Leary added of the lighthouse, 'It's a cherished landmark. 'Everybody in Westchester is really upset about it.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Police arrest 3 teens in connection with Tarrytown Lighthouse arson, vandalism
Three suspects have been charged in connection with arson and vandalism at the Tarrytown Lighthouse in Sleepy Hollow, the Westchester County Police said. Accused are Elvin Ayavaca, 18, of White Plains and Richard Barrero, 19, of Harrison, who were each charged with third-degree arson, third-degree burglary and second-degree criminal mischief, all felonies, a police news release said on Friday, June 6. They were arraigned in Sleepy Hollow Village Court. The third suspect, a 17-year-old, was charged as a juvenile, the police said, and was arraigned in the Youth Part of Westchester County Court. The police said he is not being identified due to his age. Police said a fourth suspect is being sought. Westchester's parks department is working on a detailed assessment of the damage at Tarrytown Lighthouse . A preliminary estimate put damages at about $100,000, but that is subject to change. The damage at the lighthouse — listed on the National Register of Historic Places — occurred on May 31 and included: Significant fire damage to first-floor flooring. Multiple broken windows on first and second floors. Multiple items destroyed, including valuable antiques, other furniture and items of historical significance. Damage to about 35 antique books that were removed from shelves and strewn about the floor. At about 10 a.m. Saturday, May 31, a county parks employee arrived to prepare the lighthouse, which was built in 1883, for tours. The employee could see some smoldering and smoke and notified the parks and recreation department and the police. Sleepy Hollow police and firefighters put out a small fire with extinguishers. County police officers also responded and subsequently turned the investigation over to detectives. On June 3, police released still images from a video that showed four people climbing over the locked gate to access the bridge that leads to the lighthouse at around 3:30 a.m., and that a structure fire was visible at about 4:32 a.m. The lighthouse damage comes after the county had finished a capital project to renovate it, which started in 2022. Renovation included new paint, repairing of caisson cracks, replacing windows and doors, cleaning and re-pointing of the foundation masonry, refurbishing interior plaster, restoring the wood floors, and rebuilding the intermediate landing between the bridge and gangway. The parks department has suspended all scheduled public lighthouse tours. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Three charged in connection with Tarrytown Lighthouse arson, vandalism
New York Post
6 days ago
- General
- New York Post
Historic Sleepy Hollow lighthouse gutted by arsonists one year after undergoing $3.4 million restoration: ‘Heartbreaking'
Now they're in deep ship. A group of baby-faced arsonists burned and gutted Sleepy Hollow's beloved historic lighthouse just a year after its multi-million dollar renovation, police said Wednesday. Four young suspects hopped a locked fence leading to the charming red-and-white landmark at around 3:30 a.m. Saturday then smashed a window and climbed into the 142-year-old structure, Westchester County Police Public Information Officer Kieran O'Leary told The Post. Advertisement 5 Police released footage of four 'teens' suspected of setting the lighthouse ablaze. Westchester County Police The twisted firebugs then allegedly lit parts of the bottom floor, which is set up as a museum, on fire and damaged antique furniture and books — leaving behind smoldering ash, broken glass and more than $100,000 in damage, officials said. 'Setting a fire and trashing a place is bad enough. It's also one of the county's more iconic places,' O'Leary said. Advertisement 5 The suspects allegedly hopped a locked fence to break into the lighthouse, according to police. Westchester County Police 'It's a cherished landmark,' he added. 'Everybody in Westchester is really upset about it.' 5 The arsonists broke through a window and trashed the lighthouse. Westchester County Police Outraged locals have since flooded police with tips after cops released a photo of the alleged arsonists strolling over a bridge leading to the lighthouse, O'Leary said. Advertisement The wild vandalism comes a year after the county unveiled a $3.4 million renovation of the lighthouse's interior — including a restoration of the historic spotlight that guided ships away from the banks of the Hudson River for decades. 5 The lighthouse was left charred and gutted. Westchester County Police Built in 1883, the lighthouse at Kingsland Point Park in Sleepy Hollow once housed a family and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. 'It's disappointing, and it's heartbreaking to see this kind of damage that was just completely unnecessary,' Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said in News 12 footage. Advertisement 5 Damage included broken antique furniture, police said. Westchester County Police A Westchester County employee first spotted smoke wafting from the beloved landmark Saturday morning, prompting firefighters to rush to the blaze. The lighthouse is now temporarily closed for repairs. 'There have been weddings and proposals there and it's more recently become an Instagram spot,' O'Leary said. 'There's been a strong reaction to the vandalism.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Police release suspect photos after fire damages historic Tarrytown Lighthouse
SLEEPY HOLLOW, N.Y. (PIX11) — Police are asking for help in identifying multiple suspects they say are connected to arson and vandalism at the historic Tarrytown Lighthouse in Sleepy Hollow. The damage was discovered on Saturday morning by a Westchester County Parks employee. More Local News Westchester County Police report that a fire caused damage exceeding $100,000 to the lighthouse. Surveillance footage obtained by police shows four suspects walking up to the lighthouse at around 3:30 a.m. Police say a structure fire was visible at around 4:32 a.m., and the suspects were observed leaving the lighthouse at around 4:45 a.m. Police say the suspects could be juveniles. One was seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt that reads 'Fear of God – Essentials'. Anyone with information is asked to contact Westchester County Police at (800) 898-8477 or submit an electronic tip at tips@ You can also submit a tip via the WCPD Mobile App available for Apple and Android phones. Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
