Police Report: Scent of Suspect's Cologne Lingers After Burglary on Rectory Lane

On October 29, a Rectory Lane couple picked up a family member at the airport and returned home to find their house burglarized. The burglary occurred between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. that night. According to the couple, they noticed their basement door was ajar when they entered their house through the garage. They thought this was strange, since the basement door usually remains closed. When the couple went upstairs, they noticed their master bedroom was in disarray, with belongings from their closet and drawers thrown around on the floor. An empty jewelry box was on the floor, and another jewelry box had been opened, but its contents seemed undisturbed. A safe from the master bedroom had been moved near the open basement door. It had been pried open, and only personal paperwork remained. The couple smelled unfamiliar cologne, leading them to believe the perpetrator might still be in the house, so they called 911 and waited for police. Investigation did not uncover any signs of suspects remaining in the house or forced entry to the house. Only the interior and exterior basement doors were open, suggesting probable points of entry and exit. Police canvassed the yard and found the handle and locking mechanism of a backyard gate broken and lying on the ground. Patrol surmised the locked gate had impeded the suspects' flight, so the suspects must have used force as they left the yard.

Stolen checks
On Oct. 27, a Secor Road man received a call from a Chase Bank branch in Manhattan about a woman who attempted to cash an altered check written against the man's account on Oct. 24. The teller became suspicious of the transaction, alerted the bank manager and refused to cash the check. The man confirmed he did not know the woman and the check had been altered. According to the man's records, the check was originally written to an organization with which the man does business. It was mailed with two other checks in a public mailbox at the intersection of Heathcote Road and Palmer Avenue on Sept. 22.

Order of protection violated
On Nov. 1, police charged a 28-year-old West Harrison woman with the misdemeanor of disobeying a court mandate after she allegedly violated an order of protection Oct. 31. According to the arrest report, the woman went to her mother's house in Scarsdale because "she was intoxicated and had been turned away from an alcohol detox program due to an insurance issue." She was aware a stay away order had been issued on Jan. 29 and was valid through March 24, 2014. This order of protection forbade the woman to enter her mother's house. However, the woman stated she had "nowhere to go" when the detox program turned her away, and the woman's mother was concerned about her daughter's safety. Patrol arrested the woman and took her to headquarters. She was remanded to Westchester County Jail on $5,000 cash or bond. She is due to appear in court again November 5. Note: Due to the domestic nature of this incident, the woman's name has been withheld from this report.

Scams
On Oct. 28, a Hampton Road woman transferred $2,978.67 to a person allegedly offering a short term rental through an online site for vacation properties. After transferring the money, the woman's questions about the vacation rental went unanswered. The woman contacted the online site, and an employee confirmed the rental listing had been a scam and was since removed from the site. The woman's bank informed her that the wire transfer was denied because of a lack of information provided by the receiving institution.

A man walked into headquarters because he received a call alleging his brother had been kidnapped Nov. 2. The caller told the man to withdraw money from an ATM machine and load it onto Green Dot money cards from CVS. Police advised the man to call his brother to verify his wellbeing. The man's brother was fine, and police advised the man the call was a scam.

Identity theft
A Nelson Road man reported a total of approximately $2,300 was withdrawn from his bank account in two transactions that occurred between Oct. 7 and 28. Police are following up.

On Oct. 31, a Rural Drive woman reported someone used her personal information to open a fraudulent account with United Parcel Service on Oct. 17. The person attempted to use the fraudulent account to charge 430.05 in fees related to a package shipment from an out-of-state location to an address in Dubai. UPS was alerted, and the account was closed.

Hate mail
A 32-year-old man who works in village center reported someone placed a threatening note on his car's windshield while he was at work Oct. 31. The person who wrote the note alleged the man broke the person's heart, threatened to kill the man and stated knowledge of where the man lives, works and parks his car. The man's car was parked in a parking garage at the time the note was left. The man said he wanted to document the note in case of future incidents.

Help
A Post Road man brought two personally owned firearms to headquarters for safekeeping Oct. 31. One was a 9-caliber aluminum pistol. The other was a 38-caliber aluminum revolver.

Police checked the welfare of a Ridgedale Road woman after she failed to answer her RUOK call Oct. 30. The woman confirmed she was OK.

Police checked an unattended briefcase left at the dead end of Normandy Lane Oct. 30. It was old, worn and empty. Police discarded it as garbage.

Responding to the report of a possibly intoxicated man walking in the middle of Fenimore Road, police encountered a Tuckahoe resident who had fallen asleep on the train and was attempting to walk home at 8:30 p.m., Oct. 31. Patrol called a taxi to drive him home.

On Nov. 1, police determined a man knocking on a Woodland Place house was a livery cab driver who had been dispatched to the wrong address for an airport pickup. The resident of the house was grateful, as the man's unexpected presence alarmed her.

Police checked the welfare of a Colvin Road woman and confirmed she was ok Nov. 2.

Virus
A Herkimer Road man reported his home computer was infected with a virus that encrypted his files Oct. 31. The man said he wanted police to document the incident. Police advised him to monitor his bank accounts and credit score, in addition to monitoring his security and network settings.

Cars and roadways
Patrol directed traffic around cars with flat tires on Hutchinson Avenue and Drake Road while the drivers changed the tires Oct. 27. The incidents were unrelated.

Sherbrooke Road residents complained about a large truck blocking their street Oct. 27. Patrol asked the driver to legally park the truck.

The buildings and grounds department of Scarsdale High School reported a car illegally parked on grass near the school's gravel lot Oct 29. Police stood by while the owner moved the car.

An unoccupied car was running while parked on Depot Place Oct. 29. Patrol turned off the car's engine and secured the car.

Police called a tow truck for the driver of a car with a flat tire on Fenimore Road Oct. 30.

Patrol issued appropriate summonses to the registered owner of a motorcycle that was without a license plate and illegally parked on Depot Place Oct. 30.

Patrol notified the recreation department about a low-hanging wire within the pool complex Oct. 30.

A driver with a flat tire flagged down patrol Oct. 31. Patrol called a towing service for him.

On Oct. 31, police stood by at the site of a disabled car at Popham and Post roads until a towing service arrived to move the car Oct. 31.

Construction plates covering a Con Edison work site on Fenimore Road shifted and created a four-inch gap Nov. 1. Patrol notified Con Edison.

Patrol asked the drivers of illegally parked cars on Church Lane to move their cars to allow for better traffic flow Nov. 1.

On Nov. 1, a Brook Lane resident complained that parked cars on the street were impeding access to his driveway. Police noted all cars on the street were legally parked and advised the man to consult with Village Hall about the possibility of updating parking rules on Brook Lane.

Fallen tree branches were removed from Weaver Street at 6 a.m., Nov. 2.

Patrol blocked off sections of Post, Hampton, Benedict and Lockwood roads until the highway department could remove fallen trees Nov. 2.

Hamilton Road was closed Nov. 2 because of a primary wire on the ground. Con Edison was notified.

A section of Burgess Road was taped off because a falling tree knocked a light fixture from a utility pole Nov. 2. None of the power lines were compromised. Patrol notified the highway department.

Patrol removed a piece of fence railing that had fallen onto a Post Road sidewalk near Sherbrooke Road Nov. 2.

Patrol removed branches from Palmer Avenue and Ramsey Road Nov. 2.

Police placed temporary stop signs at the intersection of Popham Road and East Parkway because the traffic light was not working Nov. 2. An electrician was notified.

Winds blew over a stop sign at the intersection of Ogden and Fox Meadow roads Nov. 2. Police made temporary accommodations and notified the highway department.

Highway workers were instructed to remove a fallen tree branch from Bradley Road Nov. 2.

On Nov. 2, police issued verbal warnings to drivers of cars parked in violation of posted parking restrictions on Hampton Road. The drivers moved their cars. Another driver moved his car on Johnson Road after patrol told him the car was parked too close to the street's intersection with Boulevard.

Patrol moved a branch that was partially sticking into the roadway on Bypass Nov. 2.

This week, seven car accidents were reported in the village.

Animals
Police reunited a loose dog on Carthage Road with its owner Oct. 31.

Coyotes were reported in the area of Griffen Avenue and Brittany Close Oct. 31.

Civil matter
A woman and her husband went to a Montrose Road house, asking for wages allegedly owed to her Oct. 28. The homeowner returned personal property to the woman and requested that she and her husband leave the property. Patrol advised the couple and the homeowner that their dispute was a civil matter.

Lost and found
A passerby found a wallet on Popham Road and brought it to headquarters Oct. 28. Police contacted the owner, who sent his wife to pick up the wallet.

While on routine patrol in village center, police found an earring on the ground near the intersection of East Parkway and Spencer Place Oct. 28. The earring was taken to headquarters for safekeeping.

On Oct. 29, police found a driver's license on Chase Road. Police attempted to contact the owner, a 35-year-old Bronxville woman, but were unable to reach her.

On Oct. 31, a Palmer Avenue nanny found a wallet on the street outside her employer's house. Using identification cards inside the wallet, police determined it belonged to a Garth Road woman.

A Sage Terrace man reported losing his driver's license at a Staple's store on Central Avenue Nov. 1. He said he presented his license to the cashier when making a purchase. He realized he did not have the license when he returned home. He called the store, but employees said the missing license was not there.

Fire
A boiler in a Barry Road house was running without sufficient water, and it released carbon monoxide into the house Oct. 30. Firefighters turned off the boiler and ventilated the house. They advised the resident to call for service.

Firefighters advised a Fox Meadow Road resident to call a service company for assistance with her gas stove Oct. 30.

Firefighters investigated a possible smell of natural gas in a Palmer Avenue business and determined the odor was caused by an overheated battery in the business's alarm system Oct. 30. Firefighters disconnected the battery and ventilated the business. They found a minor gas leak from a hot water heater at a neighboring business and notified Con Edison.

According to firefighters' investigation, a reported natural gas odor in a Graham Road house was actually a skunk odor Nov. 1. Firefighters advised the homeowner to air out the house and remove clutter from the boiler room. Firefighters noticed the clutter while investigating the odor.

This week, firefighters assisted at three car accidents in the village and on parkways. They responded to two false carbon monoxide alarms and 16 false fire alarms caused by device malfunction, a smoke machine, construction dust, cooking smoke and burnt toast.

Scarsdale Village Justice Court
Jasmine C. Bradley pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of driving without a license and was fined $178.

Laura Carranza pleased guilty to DWI (first offense). Her license was suspended for six months, and she was fined $900. She was granted a one-year conditional discharge and ordered to attend a MADD Victim Impact Panel and a drinking and driving program organized by the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles. She was ordered to install an ignition interlock device in her car.

Jordan D. Fernandez pleaded guilty to DWI (first offense). He was ordered to install an ignition interlock device in his car, and the case was adjourned to Nov. 12 for sentencing.

A. Kalyanasundarum was arraigned on charges of driving while intoxicated (first offense) and DWI with a blood alcohol level of at least .08 of one percent. The defendant's license was suspended pending prosecution. The defendant was assigned, for evaluation, to Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities. A hardship hearing was scheduled for Nov. 5.

Thurmond L. Matthews pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of driving while ability impaired. His license was suspended for 90 days, and he was fined $560. He was ordered to attend a MADD Victim Impact Panel and a drinking and driving program organized by the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles.

Amanda Ryan pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of a registration violation and was fined $178.
Steven M. Shapiro pleaded guilty to the reduced charges of driving without a license and removing both hands from the steering wheel. He was granted a conditional discharge for removing both hands from the steering wheel. He was fined $321.

Meghan J. St. Lawrence pleaded guilty to the reduced charges of a registration violation and failure to obey a traffic control device. She was fined $193.

Two cases were sealed.

The court issued one bench warrant and two appearance letters to defendants who did not appear in court as directed. Also, three defendants charged with village code violations did not show up for their scheduled court appearances.

Adjournments included one summary proceeding and cases with the following charges: possession of marijuana, first-degree operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs, third- and second-degree possession of a forged instrument, petit larceny, first-degree harassment, third-degree grand larceny, various vehicle and traffic offenses and village code violations.

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This report covering police and fire department activity from Oct. 27-Nov. 2 and the Scarsdale Village Justice Court calendar from Oct. 29 was compiled from official information.