Three more teens were arrested by the Bethlehem Police for participating in the vandalism of more than 30 cars between July 15 and Aug. 8. And, the Albany County Sheriff’s Department has made its own arrests for two similar incidents in New Scotland.

Bethlehem Police arrested John R. VanDyke, 16, of Kenwood Avenue in Delmar, and Damon J. Murray, 17, of Murray Road, Oak Hill, N.Y. on Tuesday Aug. 16. Bethlehem police then also arrested Michael Jones, 16, of Cass Hill Road, Voorheesville, on Wednesday, Aug. 17.

All three are charged with criminal mischief, a felony. They joined the list of defendants after their friend Russell Babin, 19, of Feura Bush was arrested on Monday Aug. 8, also for felony criminal mischief. Babin drove during the vandalism of 20 cars the Sunday before his arrest, Bethlehem Detective Mike McMillen told The Enterprise earlier.

Babin confessed, and then named the other teens involved in breaking car windows, pouring orange soda into gas tanks, and writing derogatory comments and offensive images in permanent marker on the outside of the vehicles, said McMillen.
"The only reason we did it is because we were bored and had nothing else to do," Babin told The Enterprise earlier.

All four teens are charged with 17 counts of criminal mischief, resulting in $16,000 worth of damages, Bethlehem police say.

The four defendants are scheduled to appear in Bethlehem Town Court on Sept. 6 at 4 p.m.

Bethlehem’s investigation is ongoing and additional charges and arrests are still expected to account for more than $30,000 in total damages.

The Albany County Sheriff’s Department has closed its investigation into two cases of similar vandalism in New Scotland, Sheriff’s Department Investigator Matt Campbell said.
"Oh yeah, it was the same kids," Campbell told The Enterprise this week.

McMillen said what tied the inter-town cases together was the way in which the car damage was done.

There were only a handful of cars damaged in New Scotland, McMillen previously stated.

A third police investigation for the same type of car vandalism is also being carried out in the town of Coeymans.

Campbell said that the sheriff’s department arrested Babin on Aug. 11 and Murray on Aug. 17. The department also arrested a third juvenile defendant who was 15 at the time; police are not releasing his name because of his age.

These three defendants will have to appear before New Scotland Town Court on separate sheriff department charges beyond the charges they are facing in Bethlehem, Campbell said.

Campbell said that the sheriff’s department arrested these individuals based on his department’s own interviews, and the Bethlehem Police Department’s reports.