Police Looking For Suspects Tied To BLM Incident

Maybe it's time to form a posse. Police are looking for suspects tied to a rash of vandalism at Monmouth Executive Airport (BLM) near Farmingdale, NJ, that caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to 11 aircraft.

The Asbury Park Press reports the incident occurred sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning. In all, 10 piston aircraft and one jet, a Cessna Citation II, were struck by vandals wielding crowbars and spray paint. The worst violence was inflicted on a Piper Seneca, which had its empennage severed and the right wing partially separated from the engine nacelle... damage that will likely ground the plane permanently.

"Something like this can have a very bad effect," said Vincent Giglio, the owner of First in Flight, an aviation maintenance company at BLM. "People worry about flying anyway, and with concerns about rising fuel costs, this is just another blow to general aviation."

Police believe the suspects used a truck with a cable attached to cause the most serious damage, while other planes had their tires slashed, fuselages spray painted and scratched, and instrument panels bashed in. Three cars and a trailer parked near First in Flight were also hit.

"It's sad that vandalism like this happens," Giglio said. "I just hope the police get the people responsible."

Local police have teamed with the FBI and the FAA, along with the state Department of Transportation and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, to track down the perpetrators.

"This was extensive damage," said Detective Lt. John Galvin. "We have multiple agencies involved in the investigation because of the overlapping jurisdiction. In some cases, there is a possibility that federal laws have also been violated."

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.fbi.gov