2 arrested, accused of harassing Black neighbor for years in New York

NASSAU COUNTY, N.Y. — Authorities have arrested a Valley Stream couple after their Black neighbor reported that they terrorized her for years, shooting pellet guns across her lawn and throwing their dog’s feces into her yard.

Jennifer McLeggan, a registered nurse and single mother to a 2-year-old girl, told WCBS-TV last month that she feared for her and her daughter’s lives because of her neighbors, John McEneaney, 57, and Mindy Canarick, 53. She posted a large note on her door in July detailing her allegations.

"They have said that I can be 'erased,'" McLeggan wrote. "The police have said, I need to be harmed for them to make an arrest. I live in fear for my life at home."

Officials with the Nassau County District Attorney's Office said McEneaney and Canarick began harassing McLeggan after she moved in next door to them while she was pregnant in April 2017. Prosecutors said McEneaney shot pellet guns across McLeggan's lawn for years, hitting a nearby street sign at least 20 times and leaving at least four pellets in her lawn.

Prosecutors said McLeggan also saw Canarick, McEneaney’s girlfriend, dropping dog feces onto her property after she returned home from an overnight shift at work in May 2019. Last month, WNBC-TV reported that McLeggan said she’s been cited several times by city officials for having dog feces on her lawn, though she doesn’t own a dog.

On Monday, authorities arrested McEneaney on charges of fourth-degree criminal mischief and first-degree harassment and arrested Canarick on charges of third-degree criminal tampering. If convicted, McEneaney could face a maximum of one year in jail and Canarick could face a maximum of three months in jail.

“It’s about time,” neighbor George Otero told WCBS-TV. “Caucasian people, (McEneaney) doesn’t bother but if you’re anything darker than he is, he gives you a hard time.”

In a statement released Monday, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas called the incidents "a pattern of intolerable conduct that cannot be left unchecked." She added that a judge has granted McLeggan an order of protection against her neighbors.

“I hope that this prosecution, and the order of protection issued by Judge (Erica) Prager today, afford Ms. McLeggan and her daughter the security they deserve, and I am grateful to the advocates and leaders who collaborated with our office throughout this investigation.”

McEneaney and Canarick were arraigned Monday and released on their own recognizance. They are expected to appear in court again in October.

Cox Media Group