2 Teens Charged With Throwing Bricks Down Onto Meadowbrook State Parkway, Injuring 2
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- New York State Police arrested two teens Saturday for allegedly throwing bricks down onto the Meadowbrook State Parkway and leaving a passenger and driver hurt.
Andrew Denton, 17, of East Meadow, and Jacob Palant, 19, of Syosset, were arrested following a weeklong investigation into the incident on Saturday, Dec. 26.
The brick smashed through the windshield of a 1996 BMW, striking the driver, 21-year-old Ryan Civitello of Island Park, in the right shoulder, police said. The passenger, 22-year-old Brianna Rios of West Hempstead, was bruised in the eye and mouth, according to police.
A 2016 Jeep was also damaged when the teens allegedly threw bricks and cinder blocks from the overpass near Kellenberg High School. The total damage to the vehicles amounted to more than $1,500 each.
Drivers were shaking their heads following the incidents, WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs reported.
"Would they do that to their family, or their sister, or their brother driving a car?" a driver said. "No, of course not."
"Why would you even do that?" another man said. "What's the sense?"
Police said there had been prior similar incidents at the same overpass.
"We had several reports of youths throwing bricks, rocks over the overpass onto the Meadowbrook State Parkway," Major David Candelaria, commander of the New York State Police Troop L, said last week.
Police told CBS2 they managed to discover the suspects through "word of mouth."
Palant and Denton were each charged with misdemeanor reckless endangerment and felony assault and criminal mischief. They were arraigned Saturday morning in Nassau County First District Court.
Palant was released on $25,000 cash bail. CBS2's Scott Rapoport went to his home Saturday night where the family declined to comment.
Denton remains in custody on $1 million bond, which police said also includes an unrelated domestic violence charge.