Amsterdam Clock Tower targeted again in recent vandalism

AMSTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) —A local landmark is the victim of vandalism for the second time this year. But this time, someone is facing charges for the break-in. Last Saturday someone had entered the clock tower after hours and according to the Amsterdam police department that alleged person who did it was 19-year-old Jaelynn Delliveneri.

Shawna Easterly, manager of the clock tower was able to see on their security footage what Delliveneri was up to.

“She found some mattresses and a pallet and dragged them here to make a bed,” said Easterly.

Easterly believes this incident occurred around one to two in the morning.

Easterly had shown News10s Tyanna Xavier pictures of the scene from when she got into the building, and you can see the bed Delliveneri had made and the vending machine she broke into but didn’t take any money from it according to Easterly.

“She at some point broke our vending machine, which actually isn’t ours. It’s another small business owners, First Act Snacks,” said Easterly. “In the morning, we came into a lot of broken glass and just our items out of order and out of place.”

This building is home to 30 small businesses. Since all the tenants work at different times of the day, Easterly said they refrain from locking the doors. But now that is going to change.

“It’s very unfortunate that I guess you do have to lock at night even though you stand for the good and you try to help,” said Easterly.

This building will now go from eight cameras to a total of 17. There are three main entrances to this building and moving forward every day from 11 PM- 4 AM there will be a lock pad on each door because Easterly believes this is when most of the mischievous activity happens.

That same Saturday, police arrested Delliveneri just hours later. She was then released after being arraigned on several charges including second degree burglary. The very next day, Sunday the 7th, police got a call from a resident who claimed Delliveneri unlawfully entered their apartment. Police say she was then located and taken into custody a short time later and is still in Mongomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond that must be paid in cash.