surveillance footage obtained by Fox 5 shows.<\/a><\/p>\nA sidewalk corn crop grown by Upper East Side children was destroyed by a mystery man Monday morning. James Messerschmidt for NY Post<\/p>\n
He then began tearing them from the dirt and tossing them in a trash bag that he ultimately dumped in a nearby bin, leaving behind the ravaged plot.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was like I was watching a massacre. It was just heartbreaking,\u201d Caballero said of the footage.<\/p>\n
The incident was being investigated as an act of criminal mischief, the NYPD said. A suspect wasn\u2019t immediately identified.<\/p>\n
Cops are looking into the incident as an act of criminal mischief. Courtesy Mis Amiguitos Spanish Montessori<\/p>\n
The vandal tossed the crops into a nearby trash bin. James Messerschmidt for NY Post<\/p>\n
The budding farmers, between the ages of 4 and 8, had been diligently tending to the plot all summer after planting the corn seeds in April \u2014 and had already staved off two other attacks by garden goons.<\/p>\n
Assailants previously stole guard rails the school spent $1,000 on erecting around the garden, and stamped out some of the flowers in what Caballero described as a \u201cviolation\u201d of the tiny greenspace.<\/p>\n
Whether the same man is responsible for all three attacks was unknown, but Caballero warned that it was \u201cthe last straw.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mis Amiguitos purchased a series of cameras in case the vandal or vandals return so that the school can have a clear picture of their faces.<\/p>\n
The children had planted the crop in April and were looking forward to harvesting it next month. Courtesy Mis Amiguitos Spanish Montessori<\/p>\n
The students had been looking forward<\/a> to reaping the benefits of their hard work in September, when they planned to harvest the cornstalks and paint them as classroom decorations.<\/p>\nThe school previously successfully planted other gardens in the empty plot since 2021, including pumpkins and sunflowers that had been left untouched before the vandalism that sprouted this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s their pride and joy to just go out there every evening and sometimes even in the mornings to water the plants that they take care of,\u201d said Caballero, adding that it brought joy to the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
The mystery man is still on the loose.<\/p>\n
But the incident does not mean the end of the school\u2019s farming, Caballero promised.<\/p>\n
The students are already brainstorming what the next crop will be, and are considering whether they want to try corn again. <\/p>\n
Neighbors have also donated funds, kind words and even corn-shaped balloons to show their support in the face of the vandalism. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not going to let this keep us down. The kids are ready to get their hands in the dirt and just start over again,\u201d said Caballero.<\/p>\n
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