Mitchell Igelko, a Miami, Florida landscaper, was arrested last week after he allegedly vandalized his neighbors' property for a period of 18 months, news sources indicate. It was not immediately certain whether Igelko, 48, was booked into jail. He is facing charges of criminal mischief, harassment, and causing emotional distress. Authorities say more charges are possible as the investigation moves forward. It is not yet known whether Igelko has retained a private criminal defense lawyer.
Reports say Igelko is the owner of Mitchell's Lawn Corp., which is located of Southwest 117th Avenue in Miami. The alleged incidents of vandalism started nearly two years ago when a neighbor reportedly chose to hire another landscaping firm. After bypassing Igelko's services, neighbors reportedly started finding flat tires and smashed windows on their cars and mysteriously dying grass in their yards.
In an attempt to catch the perpetrator of the alleged damages, the neighbors setup surveillance cameras. The footage from the cameras shows unknown persons tossing nails into the neighborhood road, white trucks driving by and spraying an unidentified fluid into yards (which later killed the grass), and an unidentified man hurling rocks through car windows. Other reports of vandalism include eggs being thrown at cars, garages, and homes.
Reports say neighbors believe Igelko was behind the abuse, and accuse him of hiring help to commit the damages in certain cases, citing surveillance video that purportedly showed a group carrying out the offenses. Police are investigating the purported footage, and additional charges may surface from the investigation, reports say. At this time, though, no other arrests have been made. Igelko has denied taking part in the vandalism and says he, too was victim of some the property damage that occurred in the neighborhood.
In other news, a group of 15 young protestors were arrested Monday after that sat in the center of Yamato Road to protest the presidential debate, reports indicate. The protestors, who were mostly college students in their early twenties, were arrested on charges of unlawful assembly, obstructing highway traffic, and trespass after warning. Among those arrested was Cecelia O'Brien, 22, who was identified as the group's leader. It is unclear whether the accused have retained legal representation.