A 19-year-old from New Jersey has been charged in the late-night break-in at Playland amusement park that left behind tens of thousands of dollars in damage, according to Westchester County Police.
Anthony Conkling, of Wyckoff, New Jersey, surrendered to detectives on Thursday and faces felony counts in both third-degree burglary and second-degree criminal mischief, as well as misdemeanor charges of trespass and petit larceny.
Police said Conkling and two other New Jersey men, ages 19 and 20, arrived by boat on Playland beach shortly before midnight on Sept. 23. After climbing a fence to enter the park, which had been closed for the season, the trio vandalized an electrical room, tearing out fiber optic cables that supplied internet and phone service.
They also made off with roughly 200 stuffed animals, which they carried away in garbage bags, and tried unsuccessfully to throw a photo booth off the boardwalk.
The damage was estimated at about $57,000. Investigators believe the group used a boat taken from a Connecticut boat club, which was later returned without damage.
Detectives said tips from the public helped identify the suspects after surveillance photos circulated widely on social media and local news outlets.
Conkling was arraigned in Rye City Court and released. He is due back in court on Nov. 25.
