Police, officials worked into a lather over Lyndhurst bubble bath vandalism

LYNDHURST — The township police have a message for the brigand who dumped industrial strength bubble bath into a park fountain: You did not make a clean getaway.

"We have patrols in the park and cameras in the park," Captain John Valente said.

Officers are reviewing video from the day, he added.

The caper went down on Monday in Town Hall Park.

Police received a call at about 2:06 p.m., hours after the township's Memorial Day parade ended at the park, and they were told that suds were churning in the fountain, which is the centerpiece of the park. 

Officers arrived to find the fountain, with its 30-foot high spray and rainbow colored lights, foaming out of its 12,000-gallon pool.

"It appeared that somebody had put bubble bath into the fountain," Valente said.

Park officials believe either an industrial strength soap or a great volume of soap was used to create such thick suds in the fountain. 

It cost more than $3,500 to repair the fountain. 

It is more than likely a juvenile prank by kids who thought it was funny, Valente said. 

Police are taking the vandalism seriously and the incident is being investigated for criminal mischief and vandalism, Valente said. Investigators even have an anonymous tipline — 201-804-9346 — for anyone to call with information about the escapade.

Parks officials and employees who had to drain the fountain and wash it down numerous times to remove the bubble residue failed to find the humor.

"It's a pain in the [expletive]," said Richard Gress, the superintendent for the departments of Public Works and Park and Recreation. "I am putting my foot down."

The stunt on Monday was the second time in less than two years somebody poured a soapy fluid into the fountain to create a bubble-bath effect.

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It took two parks employees  — Joe Abruscato and Bryan Intindola, who are also township firefighters  — almost 18 hours to rid the fountain of the mountains of suds and then remove the residue so more bubbles were not created when the fountain was turned back on, Gress said.

Parks and Recreation Commissioner Thomas DiMaggio said on Tuesday, after what was thought to be a thorough cleaning, that bubbles began forming again and the pool needed another rinsing. It wasn't until Wednesday that the pool was completely rid of bubble residue, he said.

"It's a huge fountain," DiMaggio said. "We wasted time and money. Two guys could have been doing something useful."

Email: lightdale@northjersey.com