4th Croton Teen Accused Of Spray Painting Racist Graffiti In Yorktown

YORKTOWN, NY — A fourth Croton-on-Hudson teenager was arrested Wednesday by the Yorktown Police Department in connection with racist graffiti spray painted under a public bridge.

The unnamed adolescent offender was charged with third-degree criminal mischief, a felony, and second-degree criminal impersonation, a misdemeanor, as were the other three teens arrested Tuesday.

Police said the fourth teen surrendered himself while accompanied by a parent around 2 p.m. Wednesday at police headquarters.

After processing, he was issued an appearance ticket and released to a parent to appear at the Westchester County Department of Probation in White Plains on June 16.

On Tuesday, three teenagers were arrested after being accused of spray painting antisemitic and racist graffiti on public property.

Police said two unnamed 17-year-olds and Lucas Belth, 18, all from Croton-on-Hudson, were charged with third-degree criminal mischief, a felony, and second-degree criminal impersonation, a misdemeanor.

Yorktown police said that shortly before 11:30 a.m. May 21, officers were sent to Croton Dam Road, under the northbound Taconic State Parkway bridge, to investigate a report of graffiti.

The case was designated as a bias incident because some of the graffiti was antisemitic and racially derogatory, police said.

Detectives collected evidence and then notified the state Department of Transportation to remove or paint over the graffiti. The DOT estimated the cost of the damage to be $631.

The investigation continued and developed leads based on information contained in the graffiti and located at the scene.

After conducting multiple interviews, Yorktown police said the three teens and one yet to be charge acted as a group while spray-painting the graffiti under the bridge and included an uninvolved classmate's name and initials.

Authorities said the classmate's name and initials were included hoping the classmate would be blamed for the incident. That led to the criminal impersonation charges.

Police said the three teens, accompanied by their parents, surrendered at the Yorktown Police Department around 4 p.m. Tuesday, as previously arranged through their attorneys.

Authorities said the Westchester County District Attorney's Office will be reviewing the incident, and additional charges may be forthcoming.

All three teens arrested Tuesday were issued appearance tickets and released to parents, police said.

Belth is scheduled to appear in the Yorktown Justice Court on June 23. The two 17-year-olds are scheduled to appear at the Westchester County Department of Probation in White Plains on June 16.