A North Massapequa homeowner says someone has been sneaking onto his Linden Street property in the dead of night and pouring an unknown liquid across his lawn, killing patches of grass in a pattern neighbors believe is anything but accidental. Surveillance cameras have caught the same man trespassing on the property three times in recent months, and Nassau County police now say the damage amounts to roughly $5,000 — enough to push the case into felony territory.
Homeowner John Giurco told CBS News New York that the vandal poured the substance across his lawn and over his backyard fence, always around 4 a.m., always caught on camera. Giurco believes he knows who is behind it, tracing the trouble back to a confrontation months earlier when he says he caught a man walking his dogs across Giurco's front lawn, right near a flower bed he was tending. According to Giurco, the man took great offense at being confronted, and Giurco said he was startled to find him on the property in the first place.
Nassau County Police Seventh Squad reports describe the suspect as a man in his 60s, about 5-foot-8, with gray hair, who was frequently seen in the neighborhood with two large dogs. Giurco said the man has since disappeared from view. In a separate late-night trespass case on West Drive on August 2, 2026, a man tried to pick a garage lock at 2 a.m., gave up and walked away; the incident fell under the Nassau County Police Department’s Eighth Precinct jurisdiction, rather than the Seventh Squad, as Hoodline previously reported.
Three Documented Incidents, One Clear Pattern
Police reports reviewed by Long Island Life & Politics pin down the timeline: the vandal targeted the Linden Street residence on July 24 at 3 a.m., again on July 26, and once more on September 19. Each time, the suspect poured liquid onto the lawn. Neighbor Peter Ekstrom described strange brown lines cutting across the grass, telling the station that fungus simply does not grow that way.
Long Island Life & Politics put the total property damage at approximately $5,000, a figure that matters for more than Giurco's wallet — it determines what charges the suspect could ultimately face.
A Dog-Walking Spat With Legal Stakes
A Dog-Walking Spat The dispute traces back to an encounter in which Giurco says he confronted a man walking his dogs across Giurco's lawn.
What followed, according to Giurco and his neighbors, escalated far beyond a disagreement over a man walking dogs on the lawn. Neighbor Laura Millard said damage to someone's personal property points to a vendetta, not simple irritation over how a lawn looks. Neighbors describe Giurco and his wife as friendly residents of the block, which has fed the sense among neighbors that the vandalism feels personal rather than random.
Felony Exposure Under State Law
New York Penal Law treats property damage on a sliding scale, and the numbers here matter. New York law grades criminal mischief in part by the value of the damaged property: Fourth Degree Criminal Mischief includes intentionally damaging property worth $250 or less, and the offense becomes a felony once damage exceeds $250, according to New York State's Open Legislation portal. With damage estimated near $5,000, the case clears a much higher bar: under Penal Law § 145.10, intentionally damaging property worth more than $1,500 constitutes Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, a Class D felony punishable by up to seven years in jail, according to the Law Firm of Gianni Karmily, PLLC.
The exact chemical poured on the lawn remains unidentified; police have described it only as an unknown liquid. For Giurco and his wife, the uncertainty and repetition have become too much. Giurco said his wife cannot stand the situation anymore, and the couple is about to sell their home rather than keep enduring the late-night visits.
Police Lean on Crime Stoppers as Suspect Vanishes
Nassau County police are actively searching for the suspect, who has not been seen in the neighborhood since the September incident. Nassau County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information leading to his identification, and callers can remain anonymous and may receive up to $5,000 if their information leads to an arrest, according to WBLK. Anyone with information is urged to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-8477 or submit an anonymous tip.
For now, the man with the gray hair and two large dogs remains unidentified, and Giurco's lawn — and his patience with the neighborhood — remain casualties of a feud that started over a man walking dogs on his lawn.
