When a prank becomes a charge
New York generally treats intentional damage to someone else's property as criminal mischief, and the level of the charge tends to rise with the value of the damage. Graffiti is addressed separately, and carrying spray paint or similar tools with a plan to use them can lead to its own charge. Damage to a car can be valued higher than people expect once repair estimates come in, so the dollar figure in a complaint deserves scrutiny. Group outings complicate things, because police may charge everyone present even when only one person threw the egg or held the can. What each person actually did, and what they meant to do, is often where the case turns.
Teens and their parents
Many Halloween cases involve minors. Depending on age and the charge, a young person's case may be handled in Family Court or in a special youth part rather than an ordinary adult criminal court, and the process and records work differently there. Parents can sometimes be asked to pay for property damage caused by their children, within limits set by law, separately from whatever happens in the case itself. Schools may hear about the incident and start their own discipline. A parent should avoid questioning a child at length about the details, or pressing for a written apology, before speaking with a lawyer, since those statements can end up in the file.
Repair, restitution, and the first meeting
Paying for the damage is often part of how these matters resolve, but any arrangement should go through counsel and the court rather than a knock on the neighbor's door. Keep photographs, receipts, and any messages you received about the incident, and stay off social media about it. Doorbell and store camera footage is often central, and it can be erased on a rolling basis, so a prompt preservation request may matter. At the first meeting we look at the claimed damage amount, each person's role, the age of the accused, and whether a resolution that limits a lasting record is realistic.
