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Saturday, November 16, 2002

Wrong pictures lead to arrests

Staff Report

Halloween was the theme of the photos an Oneonta woman recently mailed to a film developer in Maine, but what was sent back was far more frightening.

The woman, who manages the State University College at Oneonta bookstore, sent in a roll of 24 snapshots she took of her daughters dressed as princesses for Halloween, but the pictures she got back were of Ulster County Community College students vandalizing a police car.

Andre Fernandez, 19, and Joseph G. Ruggiero, 19, were each charged Thursday with second-degree criminal mischief, a felony.

The SUCO employee, who asked that her name not be used, said the photos depicted the men posing by the car with windows that were smashed, sides dented and radio wires pulled out. The pictures also showed feces smeared on parts of the car.

Police said the men took the pictures themselves.

The police cruiser was in an Ulster County repair shop in January when the vandalism took place.

The woman said she was shocked to receive the photos, which she was expecting to be of her children.

"I was like ... `Where are my photos? These aren't mine,'" she said Friday.

The woman said she took the pictures to SUCO University Police, who sent the pictures this week to New Paltz police officers, who identified the suspects.

"I didn't do anything anyone else wouldn't have done," said the woman. "If anyone sees kids trashing a cop car ... any cop car, I'd hope they'd do the same."

Meanwhile, the woman said the photo processing company has yet to find out where her own pictures are.

"I'm still waiting for them," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.



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