Teens accused of vandalizing abandoned Sheepshead Bay TGI Fridays, then posting video to TikTok
The break-in happened Saturday at the former restaurant at 3181 Harkness Ave., according to police.
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Police are searching for a group of teens accused of breaking into a now-shuttered TGI Fridays in Sheepshead Bay, vandalizing the location, and then posting video of the damage on TikTok.
The break-in happened Saturday at the former restaurant at 3181 Harkness Ave., according to police.
Investigators say the suspects smashed four windows at the abandoned building. Video posted on TikTok appears to show teens inside the property, including one person standing on the roof, damage throughout the building and fire extinguishers being sprayed inside. In the video, the activity is described as “urban exploring.”
The owner of the building said this was not an isolated incident. He said the same group broke in three times, and each time the windows were repaired, they were broken again. He said a fence was also installed around the property, but that did not stop the break-ins.
The owner said that during the most recent incident, he was watching from across the street when he saw a teen crawling out of a broken window.
Graffiti outside the abandoned restaurant reads, “Reggie strikes again,” which may be connected to the same group. The TikTok page also appears to include other videos showing people breaking into an abandoned Burger King in Brooklyn and climbing through an active construction site in the city.
Neighbors who watched the TikTok video said they were disturbed by what they saw.
“That’s crazy,” said neighbor Giovanni Astarita. “They have nothing better to do!”
Mahdi Abraham called the video troubling.
“Something like this is definitely not right to do because you could always find a job or do something, not be bored and vandalize stuff and break stuff into pieces,” Abraham said.
Justino Garcia said he believes this kind of behavior has become more common.
“It’s crazy. I think that’s been occurring often, like not just here but like everywhere around the boroughs,” Garcia said.
The TGI Fridays closed in 2024. Police said no arrests have been made.
