Teens charged with breaking into, vandalizing former Dowling College building in Oakdale, police say

Six teens have been arrested in connection with breaking into and vandalizing a vacant Oakdale building on the grounds of a former Gold Coast mansion used at one time by the now-closed Dowling College, Suffolk police said.

The charges range from burglary to criminal mischief and criminal trespass stemming from incidents in May at the vacant Oakdale building.

A group of teenage males broke into the building at 150 Idle Hour Blvd. sometime between May 25 and May 29 and painted graffiti on the wall, Suffolk police said. A group of teenage males also trespassed in the building on May 27 and 29, police said.

The arrests were made after an investigation by Hate Crimes Unit detectives, police said.

Those charged include: 

• An 18-year-old charged with burglary and criminal mischief.
• A 17-year-old charged with burglary and criminal Mischief as well as criminal trespass for the incident on May 29.
• Three 17-year-olds were charged with criminal trespass for the May 27 incident.
• A 17-year-old was charged with two counts of criminal trespass for the incidents on May 27 and 29.

The 17-year-olds charged with criminal trespass will be arraigned at Family Court on a later date. The 18-year-old was arrested on July 11 and was arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip the same day. The 17-year-old charged with burglary, criminal mischief and criminal trespass was arrested on June 30 and arraigned at the Youth part of First District Court the same day, police said.

Antisemitic messages were found inside the building last month but it wasn't clear whether the recent arrests were linked to that graffiti.

Neighbors of the vacant college campus said then that break-ins, vandalism and other incidents continue to be a weekly or even daily nuisance despite the efforts of police and a neighborhood watch group to deter trespassers.

Newsday reported last year that the 25-acre property — including the century-old Idle Hour estate built by railroad heir William K. Vanderbilt — came under new ownership when China Orient Asset Management Co. Ltd. paid nearly $42 million to buy majority control of the parent company of Delaware-based Mercury International. Mercury had bought the property for $26.1 million at a 2017 bankruptcy auction.

Suffolk police announced Friday that they are seeking a group of at least three people who on July 6 between 10:30 p.m. and midnight entered the same building at 150 Idle Hour Blvd. where the earlier arrests were made and broke several windows and damaged items.

Detectives ask anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers by calling 800-220-TIPS, using a mobile app by searching P3 Tips, or online at P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.

With Carl MacGowan