A man has been charged with deliberately placing tree limbs and other debris across a trail used by mountain bikers at Blue Mountain Reservation in Westchester County, New York, creating a hazard that risked serious injury to riders.
The investigation began in the fall of 2024 when Westchester County Police Department received multiple complaints about tree limbs, branches, and other debris placed at the bottom of a descending rock face on a popular mountain biking trail. Police, park rangers, and park personnel began conducting regular inspections of the area.
With permission from authorities, a group of local mountain bikers conducted their own sting operation by placing a motion activated camera near the rock face. This effort was succesful as they captured the culprit in the act.
With the help of the footage, the suspect was formally charged on April 29th. The 44-year-old Peekskill resident was charged with criminal nuisance in the second degree and was booked at Westchester County Police Department headquarters in Hawthorne. He was released pending an appearance in Peekskill City Court on May 19th.
Read the full press release from the Westchester County Police Department below.
Westchester County Police Department Press Release:
A Peekskill man was charged this week with deliberately placing tree limbs and other debris along a trail way used by mountain bikers at Blue Mountain Reservation, potentially exposing those bikers to serious injury.
The 44-year-old man was charged with Criminal Nuisance 2nd Degree, a misdemeanor. He was booked at County Police headquarters in Hawthorne and released pending a May 19 appearance in Peekskill City Court.
The arrest stems from an investigation that began in the fall of 2024. County Police received several complaints that someone was placing tree limbs, smaller branches and other debris at the bottom of a descending rock face on a path frequently traveled by mountain bikers.
After receiving the complaints, County police officers, park rangers and park personnel made regular inspections of the remote location where the incidents were occurring. An association of mountain bikers, at its own expense, placed a trail camera in the vicinity of the rock face, also known as a granite roller by mountain biking enthusiasts. A potential suspect was identified but there was insufficient evidence to bring a charge.
Based on video more recently captured by that trail camera, the suspect was formally charged on April 29.
Blue Mountain Reservation is a 1,538-acre County park in Peekskill and Cortlandt. It features 20 miles of trails for mountain biking and additional trails for hiking, horseback riding and nature study.
