Between $13,000 to $15,000 worth of damages were done Sunday night to the Light Up Middletown displays in Smith Park.

Barney Strassburger, the on-site manager of the holiday lights display, said when he arrived at Smith Park on Monday morning he noticed the damage. He told police that vandals had knocked over a large fountain display near the splash pad, damaged the small Santa workshop and bent several deer.

Flo Randall, founder of the display that runs from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, estimated the damages and said the fountain was worth about $9,000.

“It made me sick. I wanted to cry,” Randall said about being notified of the vandalism. “Why would someone want to break something that so many people enjoy?”

Volunteers, those called the “Grandpa Gang,” are in the process of taking down the displays and storing them until next year, Randall said. Light Up Middletown, in its 14th year, was seen by more than 64,000 people this season.

This was the second act of vandalism to the lights display this year. On Dec. 30, two Middletown men were charged after they were caught driving in the snow and stealing displays. The driver, Justin Carter, 22, was charged with driving under suspension, reckless operation, petty theft and criminal trespass. The passenger, Seth Green, 26, was charged with criminal trespass.

A pretrial hearing has been set for 8:15 a.m. Feb. 19 in Middletown Municipal Court for Carter.

Green was fined $250 and court costs.