Security-camera video from Wireless Boulevard in Hauppauge has shaken an otherwise quiet industrial strip, showing a white SUV barreling into Canada geese earlier this month and killing multiple birds. The footage appears to show the driver turning around and coming back to the same stretch of road, seemingly to check on or hit the waterfowl again, a pattern investigators say points to intentional cruelty. Animal-welfare groups and local authorities have since kicked in reward money and are poring over surveillance footage, while workers and neighbors along the corridor say they are rattled by what they’ve seen.
Video, timeline and locations
According to NBC New York, the first reported incident happened on April 4. Additional surveillance footage from April 15 shows a white Jeep Grand Cherokee running over geese near 375 Wireless Boulevard, with two more birds struck roughly a half-mile away along the same stretch. The Suffolk County SPCA said in a press release that the attacks have been happening at night, generally between about 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., as reported by TBR News Media.
What investigators are saying
Chief Roy Gross of the Suffolk County SPCA has called the incidents “very wrong” and told investigators the pattern suggests deliberate cruelty, according to The New York Times. The Times reported that investigators believe the vehicle reached about 50 miles per hour during at least one strike and that roughly a dozen Canada geese have been killed in Hauppauge this month. Gross warned that whoever is responsible could face criminal penalties, including fines and jail time for each bird killed, if they are arrested and convicted, the paper said.
Reward rises as groups pitch in
The Suffolk County SPCA initially put up a $2,000 reward, but animal-welfare organizations across the county have since added to the pot, pushing the bounty to $7,500, according to Greater Long Island. The New York State Humane Association, Humane Long Island, Defense of Animals and several local rescue groups are among those reported to have contributed. The SPCA says the money will be paid out only if tips lead to an arrest and conviction.
How to help
Anyone with information — especially drivers with dash-camera footage or businesses with security cameras along Wireless Boulevard — is urged to call the Suffolk County SPCA tip line at 631-382-7722, according to TBR News Media. Investigators say tips will be kept confidential and that any video clips could be key to identifying the driver. The SPCA and police are reviewing footage from the corridor and are asking residents and businesses to preserve any recordings rather than post them publicly, in order to avoid compromising the investigation.
