A Mount Kisco man was charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the 5th degree after allegedly stealing around 20 campaign signs in the village.
Westchester County police say 41-year-old Daniel Bruno is accused of taking campaign signs from the intersections of South Bedford Road and Main Street, as well as Lexington Avenue and Main Street.
According to police, the person who filed the complaint had placed AirTags in several campaign signs before putting them up.
After noticing the signs were missing, the complainant tracked their location to a vehicle parked in a lot at 506 East Main St.
Responding officers found the signs in the back of an unoccupied dump truck in the lot, police said.
When the registered owner arrived, police conducted a traffic stop and recovered 20 election signs.
Several of the signs were for Village Trustee Tom Luzio and Trustee Candidate Mike McGuirk.
Residents shared their concerns with News 12.
"I'm disturbed by it and I'm disappointed, of course. There's just too much going on in my opinion that's divisive. So if people want to campaign and put their signs out, I think we have a right to see their signs," said resident Andrea Eisenberg.
Mayor Michael Cindrich told News 12 that campaign sign defacement has historically been a problem in the village, adding that his own campaign signs have been defaced in the past.
According to Westchester County Police, "the complainant advised that he would like to press charges and placed the value of the signs at $12 each and the air tags at $27 each."
Bruno was issued a desk appearance ticket returnable to Mount Kisco Justice Court on Oct. 15.
Statement from trustee candidate Mike McGuirk:
“Our campaign is about our experience and our commitment to serving the people of Mount Kisco. We are focused on showing up, sharing our ideas, and having meaningful conversations with voters from across the Village. Campaign signs are just a small part of our ongoing work to engage with residents and meet their needs. I appreciate the Westchester County Department of Public Safety for its professionalism in handling this matter.”
Statement from Village Trustee Tom Luzio:
“It's an unfortunate distraction to a campaign. I'd prefer we focus on the issues and concerns of our residents."