Police: DTC chair’s car vandalized

HAMDEN — The chairman of the Democratic Town Committee told police five nails were recently driven into one of his car tires, according to an incident report.

Sean Grace, a vocal supporter of mayoral candidate Lauren Garrett, woke last Thursday to find his car had a flat, he told the New Haven Register.

At first, he didn’t think much of it, he said. But after he brought the car in for a tire change, staff at the shop told him what the problem was.

“They said, ‘yeah, (it’s) definitely not an accident, there’s five nails in the thing,’” the chairman said. “I have no idea who did it.”

Grace reported the incident to police Friday.

“After a tire change it was discovered that he located five nails punctured in the center tread of his tire,” the police report says. “No suspect or witnesses. No cameras from neighbors. Directed patrols enforced in the area.”

The report indicates Grace noticed the flat Friday morning. But Grace confirmed he noticed it Thursday and suggested there may have been an error in the report because he did not inform police until Friday.

The New Haven Register obtained the report through a Freedom of Information Request. Town Attorney

Sue Gruen indicated in an email Tuesday that the case remains open.

Grace did not make any specific accusations about the alleged vandalism but indicated he suspected it might have to do with the political climate.

“I think people are just a little uneasy,” he said. “Change is not easy.”

The alleged vandalism comes one month after a contentious Democratic primary and one month before a municipal election with the potential for a sea change in Hamden government, with the town administration facing the possibility of significant turnover for the first time in 16 years.

Though he is considering getting a doorbell camera, Grace is taking the incident in stride.

“It probably should

(make me nervous) but, you know, I’m just kind of rolling with it,” he said. “Obviously it makes our family a little uneasy, but we’re powering through it.”

Ron Gambardella, the Republican candidate for mayor and Garrett’s opponent, condemned such acts of vandalism.

“Certainly nobody I associate with would ever do such a thing,” he said. “I am absolutely opposed to anyone who would take such action. This (election) is not about personal vendettas, this is about politics and who has the better argument for the people of Hamden. It’s about persuasion and not about taking physical action … especially action that’s gonna harm somebody.”

Grace