N.Y. Municipality's Heavy Vehicles Vandalized

Vandals temporarily disabled all of the City of Mount Vernon, N.Y., snowplows and salt, garbage, and sewer trucks located in the Public Works garage. One or more people are believed to have entered the garage and stuffed latex gloves in the vehicles’ gas tanks, Mayor Richard Thomas announced.

The vandalism was discovered around 6 a.m. on Feb. 12 when two city vehicles became disabled. After mechanics found gloves in the two vehicles’ gas tanks, they began inspecting the rest of the city’s trucks and found gloves in all of their tanks.

According to Lohud, workers removed gloves and pieces of latex from the tanks of 16 garbage trucks and 13 snow plows, receiving help from Westchester County’s mobile repair unit.

Several of the snowplows and salt trucks were repaired and on the road by 10 a.m., when snowfall began, the mayor stated. The city asked residents to limit their use of the city’s streets in the afternoon while city employees complete salting and plowing the streets.

This is the latest attack perpetrated in Mount Vernon. On Jan .14, someone left a fake pipe bomb at City Hall, and immediately after, someone set fire to a cabinet in a city department office.