Tires On Firefighters' Personal Cars Slashed On Staten Island
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are investigating some tire slashings on Staten Island targeting the cars of firefighters.
The tires on three vehicles were slashed sometime Thursday night, CBS2's Sonia Rincon reported.
The Staten Island Advance snapped pictures of the personal cars of the firefighters who work at Engine 165/Ladder 85 on Richmond Road.
A section of Beacon Avenue in New Dorp is reserved for them, indicated by a sign and yellow line added in March.
Neighbors such as Rachel Volpe can't imagine why someone would target firefighters.
"I think most of the neighbors are happy to have the Fire Department here," she said. "And they have very little parking."
Across the street, Charles Frizziola got a knock on the door at 1 a.m. from an investigator.
"'Do you like firemen? Are you mad at firemen?' he said he was asked. "I says, 'I'm a retired fireman. I built this house while I worked in that firehouse.'"
Other neighbors wonder if everyone is so accepting.
"Maybe they didn't like them parking on the street, I guess?" said Eddie Chin, who works in the neighborhood.
Some neighbors say very recently the firefighters started parking diagonally and partially on the sidewalk. They're wondering if somebody had a problem with that.
"I guess when they were parking the other way, that was aggravating people with children," said neighbor Natalie Meier.
Only the back tires were slashed -- the ones on the sidewalk.
Frizziola said something also happened to his car, which was in his driveway.
"Someone was in my car because when I got in my vehicle this morning, I found the contents of the glove compartment on the front seat," he said.
Frizziola said nothing was stolen, but it's a strange coincidence.
No vehicles were parked in the blocked-off section Friday afternoon. There was no comment from the FDNY, which would only say fire marshals are helping the police investigate.
Police say the cost of the tire damage is roughly $1,700.
