Surveillance video captures older couple destroying plants at Westchester home

Marcus Solis Image
Thursday, May 30, 2024
Video shows older couple destroying property at Westchester home
Marcus Solis has the story in Edgemont on the vandalism.

GREENBURGH, Edgemont (WABC) -- While property destruction and other crimes of vandalism are not uncommon, the culprits spotted in security video outside of a Westchester home might surprise you.

Footage shows a seemingly elderly couple walking hand-in-hand kicking then suddenly stomping plants in front of a house in Edgemont.

Jay Patel, the homeowner, told Eyewitness News this was no accident.

"If it was like one or two, I could understand that. But like, 50 of them? Someone intentionally did it," he said.

Patel planted dozens of Hostas, which tend to grow well in the shade, in front of his home

He intended to spruce up the stretch of Fort Hill Road that had been covered in weeds.

The plants have been there for five years, but over the last month, they've been trashed on four separate occasions.

"I don't have anything against these people, I just want them to stop doing it. Every week I come here, my plants are stomped on. I doubt anyone would enjoy that and make them feel good," Patel said.

Fort Hill Road is a busy street with poor pedestrian access.

In 2019, a 67-year-old man was struck and killed by a car.

Patel was on the committee that helped spur the town of Greenburgh to build a sidewalk on the opposite side of his street.

"If someone came to me and said, 'listen, this is really impeding my ability to walk on this side of the street. Can you do something about that?' I'm open. Yeah, we can move things around. We can adjust things but there's no excuse for damaging someone's property like that. That's vandalism," he said.

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Kemberly Richardson has the exclusive interview.

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