FEURA BUSH — The Bethlehem police have arrested a Feura Bush man for vandalizing dozens of cars and more arrests are expected at the end of this week.

Russell A. Babin, 19, of 2341 Indian Fields Road, was arrested Monday morning for third-degree criminal mischief, a felony, said Bethlehem’s detective supervisor, Michael McMillen.

Babin confessed to police he participated in the vandalism of 30 to 50 cars in Bethlehem, and then named his accomplices, McMillen said.
"We did it," Babin told The Enterprise on Wednesday.
"The only reason we did it was because we were bored and had nothing else to do," Babin said.

There are four more teenagers whom the Bethlehem police plan to arrest by the end of the week — it’s just a matter of paperwork, and getting the warrants signed, McMillen said. The suspects range in age from 15 to 19, and all live in the same area, McMillen said.
It is believed they are responsible for a stint of car vandalism in Bethlehem, Coeymans, and "a handful" in New Scotland, which started July 15 with the most recent incidents occurring over the weekend, McMillen said on Tuesday.

Babin and his friends damaged 20 cars just this Sunday, McMillen said. Babin was the driver for Sunday’s criminal escapade, McMillen said.

Information from Bethlehem’s investigation has been passed on to the Albany County Sheriff’s Department and the town of Coeymans police for their own investigations, he said.

Feura Bush, a hamlet in New Scotland, presses up against the town of Bethlehem’s border, and is also close to the Coeymans town line to the south.

McMillen said what ties the numerous acts of vandalism together is the way the suspects did the crimes.

The car’s windows were all smashed out with pieces of concrete, and the teenagers consistently poured orange soda into the gas tanks, McMillen said.
They also used Sharpies, permanent markers, when they wrote and drew on the vehicles, McMillen said. Two of their derogatory phrases were "Pay up N-gg-r" and "F--k the police," McMillen said. They also drew swastikas on a couple of the cars and drew penises, said McMillen.

The crimes don’t constitute a hate crime, though, McMillen said, because the victims weren’t African-American or Jewish.

Ninety-nine percent of the victims were strangers to Babin and his accomplices, McMillen said. They were random acts, he said.

When asked what the motive was, McMillen reported the same thing that Babin later told The Enterprise: "He said it was just something to do," McMillen said.

What led police to Babin was an interview with one of the victims, who was asked if there were anyone who might be angry at him.

This victim was going to buy an iPod, a portable digital music player, from one of the other suspects, McMillen said. The victim didn’t want to pay the suspect’s asking price so, in retaliation, the teenagers targeted his car, McMillen said.

Interviewing the teenager who was trying to sell the iPod is what led Bethlehem detectives to Babin. The teenager selling the iPod, has not yet been arrested, but will be, McMillen said.

While interviewing Babin, he denied involvement for a long time, McMillen said, but, after an hour, he confessed.

McMillen said that there really wasn’t one specific leader of the group.

While criminal mischief is currently the only charge against Babin, McMillen said Bethlehem Police plan to press further charges, including conspiracy, which makes it more severe of a crime, McMillen said, and reckless endangerment to property.

The cash value of the damage done is in the thousands of dollars, McMillen said, and the police are still interviewing all the victims and getting documentation of the repair costs to get a more exact figure.

Babin’s view

When The Enterprise asked Babin if they knew the people who’s cars they where damaging, he said, "No, just people."
"People who were just at the wrong place at that wrong time," he said.
Babin said he only participated in the vandalism twice — once last month and then a few days ago. It was his friends’ idea and he said, "I just went along with it."
When he was interviewed and interrogated by police, Babin said, "I felt really nervous." He added that he knew if he didn’t tell the police who else was there and involved, he would be taking all the blame. "I didn’t want to do that," Babin said.
"It was not really that fun — mostly for the thrill — doing something and getting away with it, or trying to," Babin told The Enterprise.
Asked his thoughts now after being caught, Babin said, "I know I’m not going to be doing it again."
"I’m sorry to all the people we did it to," Babin said. He said he knows they never deserved it.
When asked why swastikas were used and what they meant to him, Babin’s said, "I don’t know about that, I had heard about that as well, the swastikas...I don’t know why they wrote that, I was driving."
Then asked about using the word "N-gg-r," Babin said, "I guess they’re racist," he said of his friends. He said he didn’t write that word.
"I don’t know why because I sat in the car and waited," Babin said.

Babin asked The Enterprise what happened to the other teens.

After responding, The Enterprise asked if they were friends of his. Babin said, "We were," but, "I won’t be talking to them" anymore.