Four males who allegedly vandalized a historic New York lighthouse were arraigned in court.
The four suspects, two of which were minors, were allegedly involved in breaking in and setting fire to the newly renovated Tarrytown Lighthouse on May 31 in Sleepy Hollow, New York, according to The Hudson Independent.
Suspects Elvin Ayavaca, 18, and Richard Joseph Barrero, 19, whom the court arraigned on Thursday and Friday, face felony charges of arson, burglary, and criminal mischief.
The other two suspects were charged as minors.
Westchester County police have released photos of the four suspects in Saturday’s “arson fire and vandalism spree” that occurred at the Tarrytown Lighthouse in Sleepy Hollow. https://t.co/Hno524wE1E pic.twitter.com/YFrMjqACPT
— News12WC (@News12WC) June 4, 2025
The Westchester County Police Department published a news release about the incident on Monday.
“The damage to the Hudson River lighthouse was discovered about 9:40 a.m. Saturday by a Westchester County Parks employee. Upon arriving at the lighthouse, the employee observed a smoke condition, broken windows and other property damage,” the release read.
Police and fire departments still needed to extinguish a small fire when they arrived, according to the release.
The damage to the 60-foot lighthouse, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was extensive.
“It’s heartbreaking to see this kind of damage that was just completely unnecessary,” Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said, according to WABC-TV in New York.
The first floor had significant fire damage and broken windows. The second floor also had broken windows.
Antiques, furniture, and other historic pieces were also ruined, and the vandals threw about 35 old books to the floor.
“Notoriously, kids come in and they’ll have a party or they’ll do whatever but then they go this is a whole different ballgame because they literally set the main floor on fire,” Westchester Parks Department Commissioner Kathleen O’Connor remarked.
The Westchester County Parks Department estimated the initial damage to be about $100,000, according to The Hudson Independent.
The Tarrytown Lighthouse was in operation from 1883 to 1961, when it became obsolete, according to the Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown website.
In May 2024, Westchester County held a ribbon-cutting ceremony, unveiling $3.4 million in renovations to the lighthouse.
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