NYC man accused of damaging license plates on Secret Service vehicles guarding VP’s stepdaughter

NEW YORK (AP) — A Manhattan software developer was arrested and charged Tuesday with damaging the license plates on two SUVs belonging to a Secret Service detail assigned to Vice President Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter.

The man, Harry Heymann, appeared to be a supporter of a small group of citizen activists who call attention to — and sometimes personally modify — the obstructed license plates often used by motorists to evade tolls and traffic enforcement in New York.

A spokesperson for the Secret Service, James Byrne, said Heymann approached the two unmarked vehicles outside a Tribeca restaurant and “without provocation caused damage to the rear license plate of both.”

The Secret Service agents were assigned to the vice president’s daughter, Ella Emhoff, who was dining at the nearby restaurant, Bubby’s, at the time. Video obtained by TMZ showed Emhoff being ushered into a black SUV and a man being led away in handcuffs.

“At no point was any protectee in danger as a result of this incident,” Byrne said.

Heymann was charged with obstructing governmental administration and criminal mischief. He did not respond to a phone call seeking comment and it was not clear whether he had a lawyer.

Law enforcement officials did not provide details about Heymann’s alleged motivations or the extent to which the license plates were damaged, but the incident comes amid a years-long effort by a small group of guerilla activists to undo illegal alterations some drivers make to their license plates.

Tolling systems on the city’s bridges and tunnels now use license plate readers to bill drivers and traffic cameras use plate readers to ticket speeders or people who run red lights. Those automated systems, though, can be defeated if the plate number