NYC man opens local hydrant, tells police he ‘thought it was ok’
MAHANOY CITY – A New York City man is facing charges after police say he broke into a fire hydrant, telling police he did the same in the city.
Corte Clever, 42, of 7911 4st Avenue, Elmhurst, Queens, was charged Wednesday by Mahanoy City Police Corporal Charles Kovalewski with misdemeanor tampering with a fire hydrant and summary unauthorized use of a fire hydrant.
According to Kovalewski’s complaint, officers were called to the Liberty Hill section of town around 10am August 17. Mahanoy City Code Enforcement was investigating after a report that people moved into a home without occupancy permits, set a yard fire, and used a fire hydrant without authorization.
Officers arrived to investigate the latter issue, finding a damaged fire hydrant. Metal shavings were seen around the stem nut and deep gouges were seen in the cap and connected.
A witness said his friend opened the hydrant and “they thought it was ok to do so because they did the same thing in New York.” He claimed the water had been shut off in a house they had just purchased and “they wanted to bathe.”
The friend, identified as Clever, was brought to the police station and admitted to opening the hydrant “because he thought it was ok to do so,” according to the complaint.
New York State has a similar statute to the one cited in the criminal complaint. Under New York law, it is unlawful for “any person other than an employee of the department of environmental protection, or the fire department to open, use, operate, or tamper with a fire hydrant or high pressure hydrant.”
A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 9 before Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker in Shenandoah.
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