Police News

Crash at Courier Building A Connecticut motorist is facing a variety of charges after his vehicle struck a pole that crashed into a building in downtown Carmel housing the offices of the PUTNAM COUNTY COURIeR.

Carmel Police reported the bizarre incident that occurred Saturday morning when Alan Travis, 29, of New Haven apparently fell asleep at the wheel while traveling on Route 52 at the Fair Street intersection.

Sgt. Robert Behan said Travis’ car struck a light pole, which crashed into the building. Police allege the vehicle fled the scene.

A short time later, Officer Laura Smith found a car parked along Meadowlark Drive, about a mile away, and, while investigating, noticed a man walking out of the woods. When questioning the man, Travis admitted having left the scene after his car slammed into the pole, which fell onto the building.

Travis was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident and when a computer check revealed his license had been suspended, additional charges of aggravated unlicensed operation were lodged along with one count of unlawful possession of marijuana when Sgt. Behan said officers found a small quantity of the illegal contraband in the suspect’s car.

Travis was released without bail pending a future court hearing in Carmel Town Court.

Carmel Building Inspector Michael Carnazza inspected the building at 51 Gleneida Avenue and found no structural damage.

The building houses several offices and apartments in addition to the COURIeR headquarters.

Close Call for

Kent Cop

A Kent Police officer encountered a close call when a vehicle reportedly entered into his lane of travel, forcing the officer to take evasive action.

Lt. Alex DiVernieri said after Officer Alex Vanderwoude stopped the car last week on Ludingtonville Road, he discovered the driver was operating her vehicle with seven active suspensions on her license from previous traffic infractions.

Amanda Carr, 22, of Holmes, was arrested for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and, during processing, Lt. DiVernieri said Officer Vanderwoude reportedly found five packets of heroin inside the car. Additional charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance were lodged.

Carr was arraigned on the charges in Kent Town Court and after posting $250 bail was released pending a Dec. 17 hearing.

District Attorney Adam Levy said both charges were Class A misdemeanors carrying potential year long jail terms at the Putnam Correctional Facility.

Police also arrested a 22-year-old woman temporarily residing in Lake Carmel who authorities charged was an illegal alien in the U.S.

Lt. DiVernieri said Officer Kevin Radovich stopped a car on Route 52 at 12 noon last week for failing to use a turn signal. A computer check of the driver determined that Blanca Ramos had no driver’s license.

The information received from the New York State Police Information Network revealed an active warrant had been filed from the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when the woman failed to appear for deportation to her home country of Guatemala.

Ramos was arraigned on the charges and was remanded to the Putnam Correctional Facility without bail to await federal agents.

Take a Few For

The Road

Following his arrest by Kent Police, a Mahopac man is facing charges of drunken driving and aggravated DWI when he appears in Kent Town Court Thursday evening.

Lt. Alex DiVernieri said the arrest took place last week at 12:30am when Officer Ray Beauchesne reportedly observed a vehicle traveling on Route 52 crossing a double yellow line.

The vehicle was stopped and Beauchesne reportedly observed several open containers of beer in the center console cup holders.

The driver, Francisco Villeda, 42, exhibited signs of intoxication and, after failing a field sobriety test, he was arrested for drunken driving.

After the man’s blood alcohol level measured at .18 percent, or more than twice the legal limit for intoxication, more serious aggravated DWI charges were lodged.

Villeda was arraigned, and after posting $250 bail, was released to the custody of a family member pending his hearing.

Poor Grandma

An 18-year-old Patterson youth is facing charges of larceny for allegedly stealing a laptop computer owned by his friend’s grandmother.

State Police arrested Brandon Gibb last week as well as the unidentified 15-yearold who resides in LaGrange.

Troopers said the boys stole the computer valued at $700 from the grandmother’s room at the LaGrange Motel and then pawned it for $90 in Poughkeepsie.

Gibb was released to the custody of a family member pending a hearing next week in LaGrange Town Court while the 15-year-old was turned over to his parents pending a hearing in Dutchess County Family Court.

Health Club

Locker Crook

Police are warning unsuspecting patrons of area health clubs: Always secure your locker before working out!

The advice comes this week following the arrest of a Carmel man who was accused of taking credit and debit cards from customers at an area health club.

Somers State Police Investigator Michael Davis explained that users of health clubs leave their wallets and pocketbooks in lockers while they exercise: “My advice is to leave personal belongings in a locked vehicle, or, if you must bring a wallet into a gym, lock it up.”

State Police arrested Mario Cavaliere, 30, of Carmel last week on multiple counts of grand larceny and identity theft related to thefts of credit and debit cards from a local health club. Police did not divulge the club’s identity.

Meanwhile, Carmel Police also lodged felony charges against Cavaliere for reportedly using one of the stolen credit cards to obtain a tattoo from a local tattoo parlor.

Chief Michael Johnson said the suspect used his own driver’s license as identification.

In Carmel Town Court Cavaliere was charged with possession of stolen property, forgery, identity theft, and theft of services, before being turned over to State Police.

Cavaliere was arraigned on the felony charges in Somers Town Court and was remanded to the Westchester County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail pending future court action.

District Attorney Adam Levy said the charges were all Class E felonies carrying four-year state prison terms if found guilty.

Putnam Residents

Arrested

in Yorktown

Six Putnam residents are due in Yorktown Town Court later this month to answer charges following their arrests by Yorktown Police.

Nicholas Bell, 21, of Continental Village, was charged with burglary for allegedly breaking into a Yorktown home in October and stealing jewelry and electronic equipment.

Lt. Richard Malan said through an investigation police learned that Bell was being held at the Westchester County Jail on an unrelated burglary charge. An arrest warrant was issued and Bell was brought to Yorktown Town Court from the jail for arraignment on the new charges. He was returned to the county jail on $10,000 bail pending a hearing next week.

Police arrested Jeanette Cambero, 32, of Mahopac, on charges of operating a vehicle with a suspended registration after her car was stopped on Stony Street in Mohegan Lake last week during a routine traffic check. A computer check revealed the woman’s car was being driven with a suspended registration as a result of lapsed insurance.

Paul Sayegh, 35, of Mahopac, was arrested for unlawfully distributing handbills after police were summoned to Club Fit in Jefferson Valley for a report of a man placing flyers on windshields of vehicles parked outside the fitness center.

Cops also charged Michael Finan, 21, of Mahopac, with speeding and aggravated unlicensed operation after investigating a two-car crash on Route 6 in Jefferson Valley. Lt. Malan said a computer check revealed the young Putnam motorist had been operating his car with a suspended license.

Police arrested Gelosh Lekocevic, 73, of Putnam Valley, on charges of larceny for allegedly shoplifting a digital camera battery and case valued at $31 from the Sears Store at the Jefferson Valley Mall.

Another senior citizen from Mahopac, Nino Rikadze, 71, was also charged with larceny for allegedly taking $138 worth of jewelry from Sears at the JV Mall without paying for the merchandise.

Cambero, Sayegh, Finan, Lekocevic, and Rikadze were all released without bail pending future court hearings.

High Hunter

A hunter reportedly high on drugs is facing a variety of charges following his arrest by Carmel Police.

Chief Michael Johnson reported the arrest last Thursday of Michael Cassidy, 47, of Mahopac, after Officer Thomas Johanson observed the man carrying a long gun trespassing on New York City Department of Environmental Protection property.

The chief said when questioned by the officer, “Mr. Cassidy was not wearing a required hunting tag while a strong odor of marijuana emanated from his clothing. The man admitted to Officer Johanson that he had just smoked a marijuana cigarette while also admitted to be in the possession of marijuana in his hunting gear as well as his vehicle.”

Several containers of the illegal contraband were reportedly found in the man’s car along with a marijuana pipe and film containers containing marijuana.

Cassidy was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, hunting while impaired by drugs, failing to carry a hunting license, and failure to wear a back tag. He was arraigned on the charges before being turned over to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police where additional offenses were lodged.

Cassidy is due to answer the charges before Judge Joseph Spofford on Jan. 10, 2010.

Phony Cop

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department is alerting area residents this week to be on the alert for an individual posing as an officer of the law.

Sheriff Donald Smith said last Thursday at 9am his office received a call from a resident of Bullet Hole Road in Patterson who reported that a man wearing a black uniform-type shirt without any distinct markings and a black tie knocked on her door and claimed to be a member of the Sheriff’s Department: “The man informed the homeowner that he was performing residential checks and had offered to inspect her home. When the woman told the man that she would put her dog away, the man left on foot.”

Chief Sheriff’s Investigator A. Gerald Schramek said uniformed deputies responded to the house and searched the area without success: “Neighboring police agencies on the village, town, county, and state level were also alerted.”

Sheriff Smith said deputy sheriffs in Putnam County wear dark-colored uniforms containing an official badge above the right pocket of the shirt, along with black ties held by a tie clip. The uniforms also contain collar devices and a name plate: “All uniform shirts have a Putnam County Sheriff’s Department patch sewn on the upper left sleeve and an American flag emblem sewn on the right sleeve. Members of our department will always identify themselves and reveal the purpose of their visit.”

Chief Schramek said members of both the Bureau of Criminal Investigation as well as the Patrol Division were investigating the incident. The chief said the suspect is described as a white male, 20- 30 years of age, standing 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing about 150 pounds with a thin build, and medium-length brown hair parted in the middle and combed behind his ears.

The sheriff asked anyone with information about the incident to call the Sheriff’s Department at 225-4300. All calls will be kept confidential.

Mailbox Mischief

A rash of criminal mischief is being investigated this week by members of the Brewster State police.

Mailboxes along Tillman Road, North Salem Road, Allview Avenue, Turk Hill Road, and Carriage Hill Road in Southeast were ripped from the ground, destroyed, and, in one case, used to damage a parked vehicle last Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Brewster State Police Station Commander Sgt. Joseph Malorgio said several of the victims came forward to report the suspect’s vehicle contained a very loud exhaust system.

Sgt. Malorgio has asked the public for its help in finding those responsible: “Anyone with information or anyone observing a vehicle with a loud muffler system in the affected areas is asked to call Brewster State Police at 279-6161. All calls will be kept confidential.”

Helicopter Pursuit

A Putnam Valley man is facing felony charges following a pursuit involving state police, who used a helicopter and road patrols to apprehend the suspect.

Troopers at the Cortlandt barracks reported the arrest Sunday of Michael Leonard, 49, on charges of first-degree reckless endangerment, unlawfully fleeing a police officer, criminal possession of marijuana, and driving while his ability was impaired by drugs, along with various vehicle and traffic violations after his car was observed speeding northbound along Route 9 in a construction zone near the Putnam-Westchester line.

Police alleged that Leonard ignored the trooper’s command to pull over and sped off, eventually winding up on the Bear Mountain Parkway and onto Route 6, when the suspect reportedly attempted to dispose of the illegal contraband behind a shopping center.

Leonard was taken into custody and was arraigned on the charges in Cortlandt Town Court before being remanded to the Westchester County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

District Attorney Adam Levy said the most serious charge—first-degree reckless endangerment—was a Class D felony carrying a potential seven years in state prison if found guilty.