Bottle Thrower Has Been Hurling Glass From LES Tower For 3 Years

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — A bottle-slinger has been hurling glass from a 21-story Lower East Side building, sending the projectiles smashing into the street below, since at least 2016.

For three years, the unknown person has been busting car windshields. One incident forced a nearby school to relocate its evacuation spot used by children during fire drills, according to a notice sent to parents.

Police have yet to catch the bottle-tossing goon, who is reportedly throwing items from Masaryk Towers at 77 Columbia St., just south of Houston St.

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NYPD Detective Sophia Mason confirmed there were 12 incidents last year, nine in 2017 and six in 2016. It is unclear if there are one or more bottle-slingers and NYPD has no suspects as of Friday morning.

Mason was unable to confirm any incidents in 2019 — but just Thursday evening, the principal of New Explorations Into Science, Technology + Math at 111 Columbia St. sent a notice to parents that another glass bottle was hurled out of Masaryk Towers, a co-op building.

"You are encouraged to walk on the East Side of Columbia Street when walking between Rivington Street and Stanton Street," Principal Mark Berkowitz wrote to students and family, according to an email provided to Patch by NEST+m parent Lee Berman.

"My concern is that somebody is going to get hit and killed," said Berman, who is also a local district leader.

Det. Mason confirmed no injuries have been reported so far.

When the danger zone — on Columbia St. between Rivington and Stanton Sts. — first became apparent in 2016, NEST+m principal Berkowitz had to relocate the school's fire drill location after a plastic bottle was tossed during a drill in October 2016, according to another email provided to Patch.

A Department of Education spokeswoman confirmed the fire drill location switch and said the department has been investigating the ongoing issue.

The building manager at Masaryk Towers, Mitchell Magidson, said bottles appear to be thrown from apartments above the treetops.

"Periodically, somebody from one of the buildings is throwing bottles from what appears to be a high-floor [in the] building," Magidson said.

The hope for some Lower East Siders is that a camera could be installed on the facade on the building across the street, NYCHA's Baruch Houses, to point directly at the towers, according to Magidson, who said Mazaryk Towers would be willing to pay for a camera or do whatever is necessary to stop the problem.

"It's been a slow process," said Magidson. "Unfortunately, none of this comes quick or easy."

A New York City Housing Authority spokesman said police already has cameras in the area managed by police.

Det. Mason said police has no footage of the incidents.

Berman said working to "cut through the bureaucratic morass" with local politicians and NYCHA to install an additional camera have "proven fruitless."

Councilmember Carlina Rivera's office said they've been working with Berman on the issue since September to find a solution to the dangerous situation, said Rivera's spokesman Jeremy Unger.

"We are working with NYPD and NYCHA to see if security cameras can be placed on NYCHA property facing Masaryk Towers to help identify the individual or individuals involved and hope we can reach a solution soon," Unger said.