NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A 42-year-old man was arrested Wednesday for slashing the tires of 27 vehicles in Queens on Sunday, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
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Dee Lazersmith faces over 50 counts of criminal mischief for the alleged vandalism along 42nd Avenue between 213th Street and Corporal Kennedy Street in Bayside.
Between the hours of 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Aug. 7, Lazersmith allegedly caused over $13,000 in damage by slashing tires.
“This defendant caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damage by going on a slashing spree alongside a quiet residential street,” said Katz. “More than two dozen victims must now pay to repair and replace the vandalized vehicle tires. This senseless nuisance will not be tolerated in Queens County.”
The District Attorney’s Office said surveillance cameras captured footage of Lazersmith bending down near the affected vehicles, and that police found a knife in his vehicle that appeared to have rubber on the tip.
A spokesperson for Katz’s office told 1010 WINS there’s “no indication at this time” the vandalism was connected to other mass tire slashings carried out in New York City by the Tire Extinguishers — an environmentalist group that targets SUVs.
The spokesperson did stipulate that the investigation is ongoing, though.
A Queens criminal court judge arraigned the Lazersmith Thursday.
His next court date is scheduled for Oct. 6.
He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
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