Scrap Metal Thieves, Pool Vandals and More from the Scarsdale Police

Stolen Parts: Two large pieces of the boiler for St. James the Less on Church Lane were stolen on August 29. The property manager reported that two men pulled up in a white cargo van and asked an employee if they could have the parts. While the employee was looking for the manager the two men loaded the parts into their van and drove away. The manager said that the two men who took the parts frequent the church dumpster and remove items with the church's permission. However they were not authorized to remove these parts which are valued at $1,600. Police will check the video tape to identify the suspects.

Also on August 29 a bus driver for the Scarsdale School District witnessed the theft of metal pipes from the sanitation yard on Secor Road. The bus driver saw a man exit a white van and walk to the pipe storage yard. She asked him what he was doing and he told her a friend told him to come and collect scrap metal. The bus driver told him she would call the police and said the man, who identified himself as "Joe" said he would leave. She told the police what was written on the van and provided the license plate number.

Dog Bite:

A UPS man reported that he was bitten by a dog on his left buttock after he made a delivery to a home on Stratton Road on August 31. According to the deliveryman, the resident opened the door and the dog came toward him and would not leave him alone. The owner tried to secure the dog but it kept getting away. The dog bite did not break the man's skin and the owner reported that the dog had his shots.

Pool Party:

On the morning of September2 police found that several items had been thrown into the water at the Scarsdale Pool overnight. They found wooden planters, the lifeguard umbrellas, a garbage can and the lifeguard chair thrown into the four pools at the complex.

Overnight in the Park:

At 3:32 am on Sunday September 1, police found a woman and her daughter sleeping in Boniface Circle in Scarsdale Village. The woman identified herself as a Garth Road resident. She said she had taken the last train back from Manhattan and was locked out of her apartment. Her husband had the keys and he was still in NYC. He could not get on a train until 5:30 am. Given the circumstances police allowed the woman and her daughter to sleep in the park while they awaited the keys.

Lost and Found:

A red and beige LL Bean bag was found in the Christie Place Garage on the evening of August 26. Police could not find the owner and brought the bag back to headquarters and examined it. The bag belongs to John and Laura Desmarais but they were unable to contact them. Inside the bag were facial art antiques, a glass figurine and a metal and glass rod. The bag was held at police headquarters.

Missing specs: A man who works at the Scarsdale Service Center on Scarsdale Avenue said that his $800 prescription glasses were taken by a customer who had come in to rent a car on August 27. After the customer left, a woman, who is believed to be the customer's daughter came inside, picked up the glasses and left with them. The customer said he would return the glasses when he returns the car.

Stolen Bicycles:

A Montgomery Avenue man reported that a $300 road bike that was locked to the bike rack on the morning of August 27 was stolen sometime that day.

On August 29 a gray mountain bike also valued at $300 was stolen from the same rack. The owner said he had been riding the same bike to and from the station for two years. The bike was secured to the rack with a metal chain and a 4 digit lock in the morning and when the man returned at 8 pm the bike was gone.

Arrest:

Thomas Barr, age 45 of Portchester was brought to Scarsdale Village Court from the Westchester County Jail on August 28. He was being held in jail due to a family court order and was brought to Scarsdale to respond to a driving violation dating back to January 30, 2013. After the matter was disposed of by Judge Galloway Barr was transported back to the county jail.

At 1:23 am on August 28 police received a call about a white middle-aged woman who was wearing a Giant's jersey and walking down Clarence Road looking into cars and driveway. Police found the woman carrying two plastic bags filled with empty water bottles. She identified herself as a resident of Madison Road. Police gave her a summons and advised her to appear in court on August 28.

Gildo Gherardi, age 59 of Carmel New York was arrested on 8/29 due to a bench warrant issued on August 7. He was searched, booked and placed in the holding cell. While police were checking his record they found an active arrest warrant in Ramapo, NY which was confirmed by the Ramapo Police. Gherardi was then brought before Judge Galloway who set bail at $535 which Gherardi was unable to pay. He was then remanded to Westchester County Jail.

Car Break-ins:

The driver's side passenger window of a BMW parked at Scarsdale High School was broken while the owner was working out at the track on the afternoon of September 4. A Botkier handbag that was on the floor in the back of the car was moved but not stolen and all the contents of the bag were intact. Police surmise that the offender broke the window and then fled as there were people around at the time.

On the morning of August 30 police received calls from residents at Palmer Avenue, Claremont Road and Secor Road who said their cars were entered overnight. Coins were removed from the car on Palmer Avenue and the car on Claremont Road was tossed. About $20 in coins was missing from the car on Secor Road.

Craig's List Scam:

A Heathcote Road man told police that he may be the victim of fraudulent advertising. He responded to an ad on Craig's List for a vacation home rental in New Jersey for Labor Day weekend. He sent his deposit and then suspected something was amiss. He asked a friend to call to see if the house was available for the weekend and his friend was told that it was available and was given a different account number to send his deposit. The Scarsdale man emailed to cancel the rental but got no response and had not received a refund. As of 8/28 it was unclear whether or not the owner would hand over the keys to the house for the weekend.

Biker Down:

A Graham Road man, riding his bike across the driveway of the Scarsdale Library on Olmstead road was hit by a car turning into the driveway at 10:30 am on August 30. The driver of the car stopped to check on the cyclist but left without exchanging any information. The cyclist described the driver as a woman with gray hair in her 80's and said the car was dark green or blue. He did not record her license plate number.

Graffiti:

Black spray paint was used to make graffiti at the Quaker Ridge School. Police found the damage on September 2. On the front brick wall of the school, the following was painted in black: ROJO NV N.OC.S ROCO SCTO. The stop sign at the school was also painted in black.

Harassed at the Salon:

A White Plains woman reported that she was harassed at the Julius Michael Salon on the morning of August 30. She was waiting for a friend to have her hair done when she was asked to step outside due to a previous incident that had angered the owner of the salon. The owner followed her outside and yelled at her. She recorded him saying, "I destroy you," and "strangle you." The argument continued for several minutes but when she showed the owner the phone he apologized to her.

Identity Thefts:

A River Road woman reported that someone used her credit card to make an unauthorized purchase of $39.95 on a pornographic website, www.epoch.com, sometime between August 11 – 17. Since the purchase was for pornography and she had not used the card since 2010 the charge triggered an alert from the bank. Though the website asserted that the purchase was made from the woman's IP address, she disputer it as the internet was not working at her house at the time.

A Meadow Road man reported that in April 2012 someone used his personal information to open an additional phone line on Verizon Wireless and charged $372.19 to his account. Verizon removed the line once he told them about the fraud.

Wanderer:

A 79 year-old Murray Hill Road man who suffers from Alzheimers was reported missing by his wife on the morning of September 1. He was found shortly thereafter in front of the post office in the Golden Horseshoe Shopping Center. He had been caught in the rain and was soaked. The man told police he was out for a walk but did not know exactly how to get home though he did know his address. Police advised the man's wife to contact Older Adult Advocates for assistance.

Gunshots?

Police got two calls at 6 pm on August 28 from Greenacres residents who said that they heard gunshots near Greenacres Avenue and Greendale road. Though police found nothing unusual in Greenacres they did learn that fireworks had been set off near the Scarsdale/White Plains border.

Dog:

A Brittany Close woman called police at 7:30 pm on August 28 when she found a dog at her front door. She asked police to come by and pick it up. When police arrived they found neighbors searching for their dog – and it was returned to its owners.

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