Crime & Safety

Police: Menorah Damaged at Ronkonkoma Park

Two arms supporting lights removed, bulbs were broken police said.

A menorah at the Raynor County Park in Ronkonkoma was discovered damaged Monday, Suffolk County Police said.

According to police, two of the arms supporting the lights were removed and bulbs were broken off the top of the menorah. The damage was discovered by a member of the police’s Hate Crimes Unit around 5:30 p.m.

The menorah is displayed by the Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce. Kevin Hyms, secretary for the Ronkonkoma Chamber, told Patch that the chamber was having their board meeting at 5:30 p.m. when member Paul Weber informed them of the damage.

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"We’re just going to pick up the pieces and see if we can repair it," Hyms said.

The chamber had just held their Christmas tree lighting the day before. Since its already the sixth night out of the eight total nights of Hanukkah, Hyms said it is unlikely they will be able to fix it before the holiday ends. He estimated the cost of building the menorah to be in the ballpark of several thousand.

The investigation of the damage is ongoing. Police are asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will remain confidential.

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Editor's Note: This story previously erroneously attributed quotes to Weber when they were actually with Hyms. This has been corrected.


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