A recent streak of vandalism and vehicle break-ins has kept police in Woodstock and surrounding jurisdictions busy looking for suspects and information.
On October 20, businesses and homes had marbles shot through windows either with a paintball gun or slingshot, according to Woodstock Police Chief Clayton Keefe. Though police are not sure of the weapon, they are sure of the projectiles since marbles have been found at the scenes.
The first incident was reported at 10:13 p.m. when a marble was shot through the front window of the Yum Yum Noodle Bar at 4 Rock City Road. The Woodstock Framing Gallery at 31 Mill Hill Road also sustained damage and though it wasn’t reported right away, Keefe suspects it happened the same night.
After shooting at the Yum Yum window, the suspect or suspects shot the rear window of a vehicle on Glasco Turnpike before turning onto Plochmann Lane and down Evergreen Lane. There, the perpetrator shot through the windows of two homes, according to Keefe.
Thankfully nobody was injured in the marble incidents, though the potential for bodily harm is real, Keefe noted.
“At the restaurant, the window was just thick enough where the marble bounced back and didn’t go all there way through. If it did, it could’ve hurt,” said Keefe.
“We certainly didn’t expect this to come to Woodstock,” said the chief, who recalled a similar spree several years ago where a group of people shot pellets from town all the way into Kingston.
Woodstock isn’t the only town dealing with the marble incidents. About a month ago, homes were hit in Rosendale. Then, it moved to Route 28 by the old Dollhouse in the town of Kingston and most recently in Saugerties, Keefe said. Woodstock is coordinating with state police to track down the suspect or suspects and no arrests have been made to date.
Rocks thrown through the windows
Things in town seemingly quieted down until late night/early morning after the Halloween festivities when people discovered rocks thrown through homes and cars and various vehicles burglarized.
“Halloween night was very successful for us,” Keefe said of the parade and celebrations afterward. “We didn’t have any problems during the Halloween night itself except for 2 in the morning.”
Keefe said the late-night vandalism spree started with a house on Whites Lane, where someone rang the doorbell and threw a rock through a front window. Shortly afterward, someone nearby found the rear window of her vehicle had been broken with a rock.
During that same timeframe, several people in the center of town reported someone had rifled through their cars. Some items were stolen, such as iPhones, but in many cases, someone had just entered and rifled through belongings, Keefe said.
Police also received a report of damaged mailboxes on California Quarry Road and a damaged car on Dixon Avenue.
Keefe said there is no indication the October 20 and Halloween activities are related, though that could change as the investigation continues.
Between the vandalism and vehicle break-ins, police have logged 17 incidents.
Anyone with information about recent incidents is encouraged to contact Woodstock police at (845) 679-2422.
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