BRONX W www.BXTimes.com EEKLY August 4, 2019 6
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
An internet fundraising
page was set up to help a local
mom repair the damage
that occurred to her car as
a result of bad behavior during
a recent church-sponsored
5-day outdoor festival.
Jocelyn Eugenio’s car
roof and hood were stomped
on by a marauding teens
near Westchester Avenue
and St. Theresa Avenue that
some believe came from outside
of neighborhood to attend
the St. Theresa Feast.
Eugenio started a Go
Fund Me fundraising page
to solicit $2,500 to repair
her 2003 BMW. She did not
carry comprehensive auto
insurance coverage on the
vehicle because of her fi nancial
situation.
“I am a single mother of
two children. I am currently
raising my children alone
with only one income,” she
stated on her fundraising
page, which is under the
name she uses online, Jocelyn
Nena Mendez. “In June
my car was vandalized due
to a mob of children running
wild in the streets… there is
video footage of them jumping
on my vehicle.”
The Pelham Bay resident
recalled that she was
home on Saturday, June
29 at around 10 p.m. when
friends started to text message
her to take a look at her
car, which was parked on
the street.
Several videos have
emerged on Facebook showing
a large group of teens
jumping onto cars in Pelham
Bay near Buhre and St.
Theresa avenues that evening,
prompting outrage by
many community residents.
The wildering that occurred
prompted some social
media participants to
compare the scenes they
had witnessed to the out-ofcontrol
situation that permeated
the city during the
1980s and 1990s.
Eugenio provided the
Bronx Times with one video
that appeared to show several
youth gleefully jumping
on her auto, and claims
the youth, which may have
numbered in the dozens
or more, were drawn to
the area by the St. Theresa
Feast.
She reported the incident
to police, who fi led a criminal
mischief complaint on
Sunday, July 30, she said.
Besides destroying the
Teens who apparently were out for a night of wilding on the evening of Saturday, June 29 destroyed
the roof of this car and many others by climbing onto parked cars in the vicinity of St. Theresa and
Westchester avenues. They are believed to have been from outside the area, and were eventually
dispersed by police. Photo courtesy of Jocelyn Eugenio
car roof, the vandals also
broke the sunroof. Rain water
is now leaking into the
car, damaging the interior
as well.
“It will cost $2,000 to
push out the dents and another
$150 to pay for a new
motor for the sunroof,” she
said. “There will be more
costs because I now have to
fi x the interior.”
She hasn’t repaired the
car yet, so every time it
rains, more damage is done,
she said.
“(The repairs are) a little
bit more than my rent
payment” said Eugenio,
who works as a receptionist
while attending nursing
school. “I pay for daycare,
utilities and everything
else.”
Many in the community
have jumped at the chance
to help her.
“I think this fundraiser
is a good thing and I hope
the woman is made whole,”
said George Havranek,
Spencer Estate Civic Association
vice-president. “I understand
it is a hardship.”
“She is just the victim of
circumstances and a good
person,” said Roger Bombace,
another donor who
said he encouraged Eugenio
to host the online fundraiser.
To learn more or make
a donation, visit www.gofundme.
com/f/6jx9r-carrepair
Single mom raises $$ to repair
feast-linked vandalized car
Bronx Zoo holiday lights set to return after a dozen years
BY ALEX MITCHELL
It’s diffi cult to imagine
the cold winter months after
July’s scorching heat wave,
but the Bronx Zoo is bringing
a little Christmas into
the summer by announcing
the return of its internationally
acclaimed holiday lights
in late November.
The 265-acre zoo is bringing
back this long awaited,
holiday tradition for the fi rst
time since 2007. As a matter
of fact, the Bronx Zoo holiday
lights are the only professionally
choreographed
holiday light show in the
borough.
Before its 12-year hiatus,
the Bronx Zoo lights
had illuminated all sorts of
holiday cheer throughout
its grounds in all different
shapes, styles and sizes.
While some took the
shape of a more traditional
Christmas style objects, others
were styled as butterfl
ies and three-dimensional
horses ‘riding’ through the
expansive hardwood forest.
In addition there were animated
turtledoves and other
avian fi gures that would
swoop from treetop to treetop.
So now for the end of 2019,
this new dazzling light display
will cover several acres
of the zoo in a walk-through
experience featuring wildlife
themed LED displays,
custom Asian lanterns and
animated light shows on the
historic Astor Court.
The newest lights will
also include entertainment
for the late night. Family festivities
will include holidaythemed
music, ice carving
demonstrations, caroling,
performances, ice carving,
train rides, seasonal treats
and souvenirs.
The lights will shine once
again from Thanksgiving
(Thursday, November 21) to
Saturday, January 5.
Between these lights
and the Botanical Garden’s
Holiday Train show, this reporter
is already getting into
the Christmas and holiday
spirit.
Youth attending the St. Theresa’s
Feast pounced on the
hood and roof of a car, causing
at least $2,500 worth of damage
to the BMW and doing the
same to other vehicles parked
in Pelham Bay.
Photo courtesy of Jocelyn Eugenio
Some of the zoo’s dated holiday lights. Bronx Zoo
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