Categories: News, Schenectady County

A vandalism spree that damaged dozens of vehicles in Schenectady and Halfmoon began, one of the suspects allegedly told police, when a Northside drug dealer ran out of heroin.

Garrett Disarno and Clarence “C.J.” Hagadorn Jr. were in Schenectady shortly after midnight early Wednesday morning so Hagadorn could buy the drug, the two allegedly told police.

Hagadorn’s first attempt to buy the drug, however, came up empty, according to a statement Disarno gave to police.

“His dealer didn’t have any heroin, so C.J. got mad and started shooting cars with his BB gun,” the statement reads.

Over the next three hours or so, the two drove around Schenectady shooting at cars, police say. By the time their tour was done, they’d damaged more than 100 cars in the city, authorities say.

By the time the two were caught late Wednesday night in Halfmoon, their 24-hour vandalism spree had claimed additional vehicle windows in two Halfmoon trailer parks, police said.

Disarno, 22, of Berne, and Hagadorn, 23, of Mechanicville, were each charged Thursday in Saratoga County with four counts of felony criminal mischief. More charges were expected to be filed there.

Schenectady police said Thursday that they are preparing “numerous” charges of their own against the pair.

Left in the wake of both sprees were angry and dismayed car owners, shattered windows and piles of glass shards.

At the D&R trailer park in Halfmoon on Thursday, numerous vehicles had plastic over shattered windows, and others were sitting uncovered, their interiors exposed to the elements. There were also piles of glass where cars had been parked when the BBs hit them.

The two suspects were arraigned in Clifton Park Town Court Thursday morning and ordered held in lieu of $2,500.

The suspects spoke with Saratoga County sheriff’s investigators about the Halfmoon vandalism and Schenectady police detectives about the Schenectady spree. Two statements police said the suspects provided were filed in Halfmoon Town Court on Thursday. The statements generally parallel each other — both say Hagadorn was purchasing and using heroin and that Disarno was driving. Both admitted to shooting out car windows.

“We started on Van Vranken Ave and while we were driving we started shooting at cars,” Hagadorn’s statement to Schenectady detectives reads. “I could hear some of the windows breaking.”

Hagadorn also added about himself, “I was nodding in and out.”

Disarno’s statements are the more detailed of the two. While he told police that the Schenectady shooting started because Hagadorn’s dealer was out of heroin, he said it continued even after Hagadorn found a dealer with heroin, purchased it and injected it into himself.

By the time the two got to the Halfmoon trailer parks — Halfmoon Heights and D&R — late Wednesday night, Hagadorn’s mood had changed, the statements indicate. (Both men misidentified Halfmoon Heights as Turf Trailer Park in their statements.)

“C.J. told me that we would have fun doing this,” Disarno allegedly told deputies, “because shooting cars in Turf and D&R would start a war between the two trailer parks.”





Disarno detailed their vandalism rampage in his two statements:

They drove down Van Vranken Avenue, turned right at Union College and left. They drove past the Denny’s and turned onto Albany Street, with Hagadorn shooting at cars much of the way.

“He was still shooting and hit 2 buildings and maybe 4 or 5 cars,” Disarno’s statement reads.

They stopped in a parking lot and Hagadorn reloaded. They headed back toward Van Vranken, stopping at a Dunkin’ Donuts for food.

Back on the road, they found a dealer with a heroin supply. Hagadorn purchased it and injected it. Hagadorn shot the BB gun more as they finally headed toward Clifton Park, Disarno’s statement reads. Disarno said he didn’t shoot at all in Schenectady.

Hagadorn allegedly said in his statement that they made it to the West Milton Stewart’s. They slept in Disarno’s car.

Back on the road again, Disarno’s car broke down on Route 67. It was unclear from the statements when it broke down, but Hagadorn estimated the car wasn’t fixed until 5 p.m. Disarno told deputies they then returned to Schenectady to buy more heroin for Hagadorn. Hagadorn got 15 bags for $100, his statement read.

Hagadorn’s statement to deputies put his own total purchases at 16 bags of heroin.

Disarno’s statement continues:

At one point, Hagadorn shot up with the drug outside a Burger King in Clifton Park. They then went in to eat. Hagadorn shot up heroin again before they arrived at Halfmoon Heights.

They then went to the nearby D&R, where Hagadorn began shooting.

Disarno told police he shot once.

Their alleged spree came to an end just before 10 p.m. Wednesday when two witnesses outside at D&R heard a “pop, pop.” They heard glass breaking and saw the suspects’ car. They called 911 to report the incident.

The suspects then headed toward Mechanicville, pulling over in the Halfmoon Town Park so Disarno could find his phone. A state trooper approached and they were soon arrested. Inside the car were the two BB guns.

Hagadorn’s statement ended with a handwritten apology.

“It was a honestly stupid mistake that I fully regret making and am very sincerely sorry for my actions, and will never allow myself to make this same mistake.”