New York City Resident Arrested for Allegedly Damaging Neighbor’s Doorbell Camera

A controversial tenant accused of unlawfully occupying a rent-controlled apartment in New York’s West Village was apprehended over the weekend, allegedly for damaging a neighbor’s doorbell camera, according to information obtained by The Post.

The suspect, 66-year-old Melvin DeJesus, was reportedly caught on the neighbor’s security camera persistently knocking on the door, attaching a note, and then removing the Ring Video Doorbell from the wall on Thursday, March 5, as prosecutors stated.

Eyewitnesses described seeing a “large group” of police officers approaching DeJesus on Saturday while he was seated in a car previously associated with his former roommate, John Grafenecker, a long-term resident of 400 Bleecker Street who has since passed away.

“They calmly escorted him out of the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs,” recounted one witness.

Photos provided to The Post depict approximately six police officers surrounding the black SUV while another man, unidentified, exits the car from his seat next to DeJesus.

Charged with criminal mischief and theft on Saturday, DeJesus expands his extensive criminal record, which notably includes an attempted murder charge from 1987, as confirmed by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

The alleged squatter from hell moved into the 5th-floor unit at 400 Bleecker St. roughly two decades ago when Grafenecker took him in, a relative of the late tenant’s previously told The Post.

DeJesus stayed in the apartment after Grafenecker’s death at 84 last year — and now faces both eviction proceedings and a separate lawsuit from the building owner accusing him of turning the desirable apartment into a “flophouse” and terrorizing his neighbors

Neighbors said they are so frightened, that some are considering moving out — and claimed that despite a court-issued restraining order against DeJesus, the building isn’t doing enough to keep them safe.

“I have tons of emails from all the tenants to management asking for safety measures to be taken and management failing to do so, throughout the last year,” said one building resident, who asked to remain anonymous. 

“I have also relocated at a friend’s because I am not safe in my apartment,” the resident said, adding that other tenants are also considering fleeing the building, where a two-bedroom unit recently rented for $6,700 a month.

“It is honestly ruining my life and my right to safe housing.” 

A spokesperson for the building owner, The Brodsky Organization, said in a statement: “We’ve taken every possible means to address this unfortunate situation and remain committed to maintaining safe, clean, and comfortable housing for all residents.

The company is suing DeJesus for $5.5 million and won a restraining order against him barring him from harassing tenants last month.

“Our tenants were informed of the restraining order within an hour of us becoming aware of it on February 25,” the rep said. “Similarly, management was made aware of the recent pest issues and immediately addressed the issues when they arose.”

DeJesus has claimed in court papers that he has the right to stay in the apartment because the now-deceased longtime tenant, Grafenecker, was actually his gay lover of 30 years — an argument legal experts have said could allow him to keep the coveted rent-controlled unit.

But a close relative of Grafenecker’s poured cold water on the romantic relationship claim, as did another tenant in the building Tuesday.

DeJesus “continuously made homophobic attacks and insults on the gay tenants in the building,” the tenant claimed. 

“I was also hearing their fights all day all night for months — I can guarantee they were not in a relationship.”

Grafenecker lived in apartment 5B from 1946 until his death last fall.

DeJesus could not be reached for comment.