One of three New Jersey men has been charged, and two more are being sought, for allegedly breaking into Playland Park in Rye, N.Y., slashing cables, stealing stuffed animals and inflicting $57,000 worth of damage.
Anthony Conkling, 19, of Wykoff, N.J., turned himself in late last week to face charges of felony third-degree burglary and second-degree criminal mischief, plus second-degree criminal trespass and petit larceny, both misdemeanors, Westchester County Police said.
Conkling’s two buddies, a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old, “are expected to surrender in the coming days,” the department said in a statement.
They snuck up to Playland Park just before midnight on Sept. 23, in a small boat they apparently appropriated in Connecticut, according to the police account. They disembarked, climbed a fence to get inside the park and proceeded to wreak havoc.
Conkling and his pals allegedly broke into an electrical room where they slashed or ripped out phone and internet fiber optic cables. Then they jammed 200 stuffed animals into garbage bags and hauled them away. They also tried to hurl a photo booth off the boardwalk.
“The boat they used was apparently taken from, and returned undamaged to, a boat club in Connecticut,” police said.
Conkling was arraigned Friday in Rye City Court and released on his own recognizance with another court date scheduled for Nov. 25.
Police credited crowdsourcing in helping them identify the alleged culprits after releasing surveillance images of them on social media.
