Now they’re in deep ship.
A gaggle of baby-faced arsonists burned and gutted Sleepy Hole’s beloved historic lighthouse only a 12 months after its multi-million greenback renovation, police mentioned Wednesday.
4 younger suspects hopped a locked fence resulting in the charming red-and-white landmark at round 3:30 a.m. Saturday then smashed a window and climbed into the 142-year-old construction, Westchester County Police Public Info Officer Kieran O’Leary instructed The Publish.
The twisted firebugs then allegedly lit elements of the underside flooring, which is about up as a museum, on hearth and broken vintage furnishings and books — abandoning smoldering ash, damaged glass and greater than $100,000 in harm, officers mentioned.
“Setting a hearth and trashing a spot is dangerous sufficient. It’s additionally one of many county’s extra iconic locations,” O’Leary mentioned.
“It’s a cherished landmark,” he added. “All people in Westchester is basically upset about it.”
Outraged locals have since flooded police with ideas after cops launched a photograph of the alleged arsonists strolling over a bridge resulting in the lighthouse, O’Leary mentioned.
The wild vandalism comes a 12 months after the county unveiled a $3.4 million renovation of the lighthouse’s inside — together with a restoration of the historic highlight that guided ships away from the banks of the Hudson River for many years.
Inbuilt 1883, the lighthouse at Kingsland Level Park in Sleepy Hole as soon as housed a household and is now on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations.
“It’s disappointing, and it’s heartbreaking to see this type of harm that was simply utterly pointless,” Westchester County Government Ken Jenkins mentioned in Information 12 footage.
A Westchester County worker first noticed smoke wafting from the beloved landmark Saturday morning, prompting firefighters to hurry to the blaze.
The lighthouse is now briefly closed for repairs.
“There have been weddings and proposals there and it’s extra just lately develop into an Instagram spot,” O’Leary mentioned. “There’s been a powerful response to the vandalism.”
