Police News

Three Putnam residents

arrested for larceny

A couple from Carmel and a man from Garrison are scheduled to appear in Yorktown Town Court next week to answer charges of larceny stemming from their alleged shoplifting merchandise from two popular department stores.

Yorktown Police arrested Francis Cruz, 19, and Madelin Oliveros, also 19, last week after receiving a call from Sears’ security at 9:30pm, advising the couple was being held for reportedly concealing assorted merchandise valued at $483 in a shopping cart and exiting the store at the Jefferson Valley Mall without paying a cashier.

Lt. Richard Malan said officers responded to the store and charged the couple with larceny as well as endangering the welfare of a child, since the couple’s year-old child was also found with them during the commission of the alleged crime.

The Carmel residents were arraigned on the charges and after posting bail of $100 each were released pending future court action.

Police were also sent to the K-Mart at the Triangle Shopping Center for a reported shoplifter being held. Edward Gaberi, 37, reportedly left the store without paying for $300 worth of assorted merchandise. The Garrison man was also arraigned on a larceny charge and was released after posting $100 bail.

District Attorney Adam Levy said the charges were Class A misdemeanors carrying year-long jail terms in a county facility if the suspects are found guilty.

Suspended license arrests

on the rise in Carmel

It’s bad enough having a driver’s license or vehicle registration suspended for a violation. Continuing to drive with that infraction poses an additional penalty, which eight motorists in the greater Carmel area found out last week. Carmel Police made the arrests in both Mahopac and the hamlet of Carmel.

Chief Michael Johnson said Jose Figueroa, 37, of Wingdale, was stopped on Route 52 in Carmel by Officer Michael Sheil, who discovered through a computer check the Dutchess man was operating his vehicle with both a suspended license and a suspended registration. Figueroa posted $500 bail and was released.

After stopping his car on Route 6 in Carmel, Officer Laura Smith arrested James Parsons, 44, of Poughkeepsie, for operating a vehicle with a suspended registration, as well as driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.

Gregory Coccaro, 30, of Mahopac, was arrested for aggravated unlicensed operation and for being an unlicensed driver after he was involved in a two-car crash on Route 6 at Baldwin Place Road in Mahopac. Officer James Terrazas made the arrest.

Another crash on Baldwin Place Road near Mahopac High School resulted in the arrest of Geoffrey Smith, 47, of Mahopac, for aggravated unlicensed operation, being an unlicensed driver, and driving an unregistered vehicle. Officer Stephen Kunze made the arrest.

Officer Neil Brown observed a driver avoid what the chief said was a “traffic control device,” by traveling through a parking lot located at the intersection of Routes 6 and 6N in downtown Mahopac. The vehicle was stopped and Antonio Xi, 26, of Mahopac, was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, being an unlicensed driver, and possession of an open container of beer. Xi posted $235 bail and was released.

Officer Brown also investigated a property damage motorcycle crash on Route 301 and Glenvue Drive in Carmel and arrested its operator, Gabriel Diaz, 43, of Queens, on charges of aggravated unlicensed operation and for being an unlicensed driver.

Officer Louis Lopreato arrested Jennifer O’Connell, 34, of Yorktown, on charges of driving an unregistered vehicle, aggravated unlicensed operation, and for being an unlicensed driver after stopping her car on Route 6 in Mahopac.

Edward Mastroeni, 39, of Jefferson Valley, was also arrested for aggravated unlicensed operation as well as driving a car with a suspended registration after he was stopped by Officer Douglas Romeo on Route 6 in Mahopac.

Trooper gets more than he

bargained for

The old adage that a cop never knows what he or she will come across was never truer when a member of the Brewster State Police stopped a car on Main Street last week in Brewster for a headlight violation. Station Commander Sgt. Joseph Malorgio said when Trooper Louis Godfroy was interviewing the driver at 10pm he noticed an odor of marijuana within the vehicle.

Sgt. Malorgio said a passenger in the car who identified himself as Corbin Louis, 23, of New York City, was taken into custody for marijuana possession and was brought to the State Police barracks on Route 22 in Southeast for processing. “Questions arose concerning the man’s identity and, as a result, fingerprints were taken and were forwarded to the FBI for comparison.”

The sergeant said that in the interim, troopers found a bank card in the suspect’s possession with a name on it who the man in custody said was his cousin: “A check with the New York State Crime Information Network revealed an outstanding warrant existed from New York City PD for a firstdegree rape arrest. Troopers checked the NYS Sex Offender Registry and found a photo that strongly resembled the man in custody.”

A short time later, the FBI confirmed the true identity of the suspect as Ptahmandell Giles, 23, of Danbury.

Giles was charged with criminal possession of marijuana, criminal impersonation, falsifying business records, and being a fugitive from justice. He was arraigned by Southeast Town Judge Richard Vercollone and was remanded to the Putnam Correctional Facility without bail pending a hearing scheduled for last night (Wednesday).

The NYPD was also notified, and will return Giles to the Big Apple to face charges on the outstanding rape warrant.

The driver of the car, who police did not identity, was summoned for operating a vehicle with an inoperable head light.

Fire damages Mahopac Falls

home

One woman was injured and a home on East Lake Blvd. in the Mahopac Falls section of Carmel suffered fire, smoke, and water damage when fire erupted inside the dwelling.

The blaze was reported at 1am last Sunday, when occupants of the house were awakened by a smoke detector.

Carmel Police rushed to the Vicario residence along with the Mahopac Falls Fire Department.

Fire crews under the command of Chief Annie Link found flames shooting into the air at the rear of the wood-frame dwelling in the vicinity of a chimney.

An interior attack was made and the firefighters knocked down the inferno within minutes, averting a major blaze.

Mahopac Falls FD personnel were assisted by crews from the Mahopac and Mohegan Lake Fire Departments, along with members of the Mahopac Falls FD Fire Police Team.

Putnam Deputy Emergency Coordinator Jeffrey Boyle also assisted.

Carmel Police Chief Michael Johnson said one tenant in the house, Alice Barga, 33, fell while running to escape the flames and broke her ankle. She was taken by ambulance to Putnam Hospital Center, where she was treated and later released.

The Putnam County Fire Investigation Team traced the source of the blaze to the area around the fireplace.

Fire crews remained at the scene until 5am.

16-year-old Mahopac boy

arrested for grand larceny

A 16-year-old Mahopac boy is facing seven years in state prison following his arrest for grand larceny.

Carmel Police charged William Ray last week after Police Chief Michael Johnson said detectives interviewed the teen with regards to a larceny from a Mahopac residence.

The chief alleged that Ray “hocked the jewelry at a store specializing in the buying and selling of gold, located at the Jefferson Valley Mall.”

Ray was arraigned before Carmel Judge Thomas Jacobellis and was released to the custody of his parents pending a hearing scheduled for last night (Wednesday).

District Attorney Adam Levy said the crime was a Class D felony carrying a maximum seven-year state prison term if found guilty.

Dutchess woman assaults

Putnam Hospital employee

A Dutchess County woman is facing incarceration for allegedly assaulting a Putnam Hospital Center employee.

Carmel Police arrested Jeanette Harris, 29, of Poughkeepsie, last week in connection with the reported incident that occurred on September 10 at the medical facility.

Chief Michael Johnson said Harris was arrested after a Carmel magistrate issued a warrant for her apprehension. Police did not reveal the circumstances that led to the assault nor did they identify the alleged victim.

Harris was charged with assault as well as harassment. She was arraigned by Judge Joseph Spofford and released without bail pending an Oct. 27 court hearing.

District Attorney Adam Levy said both charges were misdemeanors carrying year long jail sentences in a county facility if found guilty.