© Nicholas FeveloShocked and saddened volunteers assess the damage. From left: Dean Malandro, Jack Biondo, Gary Malandro and Charles Milatta.
A cruel Christmas crook robbed a Staten Island relief center of clothes intended for Hurricane Sandy victims.
"When people are down, the roaches come out," said Mike Hoffman, 33, who was among the volunteers working at the Boots on the Ground relief center.
"It was a punch in the stomach," the heartbroken New Springfield resident said Thursday. "But in my heart, I don't think it was someone from the community."
Hoffman said some of the stolen items included new clothing, and the thief might try to resell that merchandise. In addition to the theft, the intruder damaged a number of propane stoves, ruined other clothes and trashed bags of dog food and bottles of shampoo.
"Everything was on the floor," said volunteer Jack Biondo, 44, who worked daily 18-hour shifts at the center after the hurricane. "Boxes were ripped open."
Biondo's first day off was Christmas, when the humbug hustler targeted the relief center.
© Nicholas Fevelo The Hurricane Sandy relief center at 626 Midland Ave. was looted on Christmas Day. Strong winds blew over supply shelves after the supplies were taken by thieves.
All the stolen and ruined items were kept in tents at the Midland Ave. relief center before the Dec. 25 robbery. The charity operation decided to close for Christmas, and the bandit took advantage of the shutdown.
The relief center had been scheduled to shut down at the end of the month, but it will now close early due to the robbery and vandalism. It opened Nov. 1, right after the Oct. 29 storm, as Staten Island was still swamped.
"For every good in the world, there's an evil," said another volunteer, Jimmy Carter. His group, the Cedar Grove Community Hub, was picking up a tent from the looted center.
A mobile St. Vincent DePaul food truck will still operate at the location, feeding dozens of people each day.
Staten Island was badly battered by the hurricane, which caused massive flooding, damage to homes and 23 deaths.
© Nicholas Fevelo Supplies and stolen and damaged at the Hurricane Sandy relief center in Staten Island.
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