DEWEY BEACH, DE– Police say several members of a New York lifeguarding association vandalized beach patrol property amid the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships.
Dewey Beach Police responded to reports of vandalism on the beach near Dickinson Street around 3 a.m. Thursday. Officers say they observed six subjects on the beach before several fled and those who remained were questioned.
One interviewee was carrying a piece of wood matching materials from a lifeguard stand, according to police. A preliminary investigation revealed a total of five stands were damaged, including three dragged into the ocean. Police say additional damage included warning signs removed from stands, municipal trash cans overturned, trash cans placed on top of a beach shack and shack signage removed.
Officers released several subjects and arrested 18-year-old Mateo Gomez, of Long Beach, New York, on the following charges:
Criminal Mischief
Hindering Prosecution
Disorderly Conduct
Conspiracy
Underage Consumption of Alcohol
Violation of Beach Curfew
Gomez was later released on his own recognizance, according to police.
Dewey Beach Police say this type of vandalism has turned into an annual issue:
"Over the past several years, the Dewey Beach Police Department has observed recurring vandalism and property damage to municipal beach structures coinciding with the timeframe of the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships, held annually in nearby Rehoboth Beach. All individuals identified in this incident, including Gomez, are associated with the Long Beach Beach Patrol of New York."
The Rehoboth Beach Police Department and Rehoboth Beach Patrol are assisting in the investigation.
WBOC reached out to Long Beach Beach Patrol for comment and are awaiting a response. An official with USLA told WBOC he was not aware of the incident.