RYE, NY (November 7, 2025) — A 19-year-old New Jersey man surrendered to authorities this week and faces felony charges after allegedly boating across Long Island Sound to burglarize and vandalize Playland amusement park in a bizarre overnight spree that netted 200 stolen stuffed animals.
Anthony Conkling, 19, of Wyckoff, N.J., turned himself in to Westchester County Police detectives Thursday and was charged with third-degree burglary and second-degree criminal mischief, both felonies, along with misdemeanor criminal trespass and petit larceny.
Detectives say Conkling and two other New Jersey suspects — another 19-year-old and a 20-year-old — arrived on the Playland beach in a small boat stolen from a Connecticut boat club shortly before midnight Sept. 23. The trio climbed a fence, entered the Rye amusement park after hours and went on a rampage that caused $57,000 in damage.
SEE: Westchester Police Seek Public’s Help to ID Suspects Sought in Playland Heist and Vandalism Spree
According to police, the intruders cut or ripped out fiber optic cables in an electrical room, disabling phone and internet service, stuffed 200 prize plush toys into garbage bags and attempted to hurl a photo booth off the boardwalk before fleeing in the borrowed vessel, which was later returned undamaged.
Conkling was arraigned Thursday in Rye City Court and released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to return Nov. 25.
The two remaining suspects have been identified by the county’s General Investigations Unit and are expected to surrender in the coming days, police said.
Westchester County Police credited the public for helping crack the case.
“The County Police would like to thank the public for its assistance in this investigation,” the department stated. “Multiple tips were received from the public as a result of social media shares and media coverage of this incident.”
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.
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