Avia, Wyckoff Residents Targeted in Vicious Vandalism

Vandals defaced the Voorhis Avenue home of a former committee candidate and local teacher, as well as the cars of a pair of Wyckoff residents during a party Saturday night.

Eileen Avia was hosting a get together for about 20 supporters of her erstwhile campaign Saturday night, she said, when someone spray painted her garage door and the fiber-cement siding on two sides of her home.

The offending delinquent also spray painted expletives and used an object to gouge deep scratches in two cars parked near Avia's home. Both cars belonged to party guests.

Avia, 64, said most party guests left her home late Saturday night around 10 p.m. — some left earlier and some later — but no one noticed the damage on the home or the cars until the next morning.

"We discovered that a couple of cars were severely keyed and spray painted," Avia said. "My house was spray painted, 'I am a pig' all over my house. 

"I'm really, really upset," she said.

Her home had been resided two years ago, and she estimates the damages to be in the thousands. 

Avia, a teacher at Eisenhower Middle School, said she was clueless as to who might want to inflict such vicious damage on her and her acquaintances. She said there had been no conflicts recently in her professional or personal life. 

"I'm a very peaceful person, I can't think of a soul [who would want to do this,]" she said. 

A walk through the quiet Voorhis Avenue neighborhood on Monday morning revealed that no nearby homes had been vandalized, indicating that this was likely a targeted attack.

Wyckoff Police Chief Benjamin Fox confirmed Tuesday that there were no similar vandalism incidents reported Saturday night.

Linda Kosowicz, a party attendee, first noticed the damage early Sunday morning at her Crescent Avenue home and called police.  

Wyckoff Police responded and questioned Kosowicz, then followed up with Avia later Sunday morning. Avia also notified police Sunday morning after Kosowicz contacted her.

Authorities arrived on Voorhis Avenue to investigate the crime soon thereafter, Avia said.

According to police, a spray can found in the woods across the street from her home had at least partial fingerprints on it, Avia said.

Conversations with the department were ongoing, she added.

Kosowicz, a township crossing guard worries about how the vandalism will affect her job.

"Do I drive my car so the kids can see the F word?" Kosowicz asked. "If I don't go, [I] don't get paid." 

Kosowicz, who is currently battling stage 4 cancer, was also baffled as to who might have committed the crime.

"I really feel sorry for people today — they have nothing better to do but vandalize someone's home and two cars at a Christmas Party," said Kosowicz

She was confident, however, that those who committed the crime would be caught.

"This is not going away — even if it takes a year to find who ever did this," she added.

Avia, meanwhile, suspects that the crime had been committed by an adult. 

"I don't think this was the work of a kid," she said. "To gouge the cars so deeply would require the strength of an adult." 

Kosowicz said that according to initial estimates, fixing the damages to her Hyundai Tiburon would cost her $4,492.

The second vandalized car, also belonging to a Wyckoff resident, was spray painted with an expletive and keyed, as well. Damages to that car are estimated at $3,261, according to Avia. 

Her car was parked in the garage, Avia said, and was undamaged.

Anyone with information on this crime should contact the Wyckoff Police Department at 201-891-2121.

Stay with Wyckoff Patch for more on this developing story.

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