Suffolk police: At least 5 cars vandalized in Melville neighborhoods

Police are trying to determine who damaged at least five cars on neighborhood streets in Melville this week.

Some of the vehicles were damaged by thrown rocks and bricks, and some suffered broken windows and windshields, overnight Monday into Tuesday. Suffolk County police said.

Apparently, no items were stolen during the incidents.

The vandalism took place on Jayne Avenue and nearby Bushwick Street in a neighborhood north of the Northern State Parkway and east of New York Avenue. Another incident occurred on Fleetwood Avenue in a nearby neighborhood west of New York Avenue.

Melville residents in the quiet neighborhood, east of New York Avenue, were still cleaning up damage from a vandalism spree earlier this week.

One Honda minivan still had a blue tarp over the shattered windshield after it was smashed with a rock. The vehicle's owner declined to comment, saying he did not want to disrupt the ongoing police investigation.

Another vehicle had tape attaching a driver's side mirror and damage to the frame of the car.

Residents said detectives contacted several vehicle owners and neighbors, checking for video footage from doorbell cameras.

Shawn McAvoy, 63, who has lived in his Melville home for 15 years, replaced his windshield Thursday morning.

He said he awoke Tuesday morning to find the windshield on his 2000 Toyota Camry smashed and a brick lying in the street.

"I think it was just an act of vandalism, an angry act," McAvoy said. "I don’t know what their problem seems to be, but I guess we all need cameras on our houses."

McAvoy said the smashed windshield prevented him from taking his wife to doctor appointments and memory care.

"I was disturbed. I didn’t know if I have anyone after me or if there was more to it, but then I realized other people were getting attacked," McAvoy said. "I was inconvenienced going to the doctor and it causes a lot of problems people don’t realize. It affects more than the homeowner. It affects my family and my peace of mind. It's just ridiculous."

John Riccio, 77, who lives south of Wolf Hill Road, said he saw a rock next to another neighbor's car after it was used to smash the windshield.

"I don’t know if it’s kids partying that have nothing to do at night, but this place has been quiet for 35 years," Riccio said. "It's still a quiet neighborhood, but it's changing."

Police said the damaged vehicles included: a 2003 Chevrolet and a 2011 Honda, both damaged by a rock on Jayne Avenue; a 2000 Toyota damaged with a brick and another unknown make vehicle damaged by an unknown object, both located on Bushwick Street; and, a 2014 Honda damaged by an unknown object on Fleetwood Avenue.

No arrests have been made in the case, police said.