Police Report: Tuckahoe Man Sentenced for Shooting Medical School Dean, Drunk Driver Arrested, Bike and iPhone Stolen and more

This in from the Westchester County District Attorney's Office: On August 9th Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced that Hengjun Chao (DOB 12/07/66) of 141 Main Street, Tuckahoe, New York was sentenced by Judge Barry Warhit to twenty-eight years in state prison after being found guilty by a jury of:

-one count of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, a class "B" Felony,
-one count of Criminal Use of a Firearm in the First Degree, a class "B" Felony,
-one count of Assault in the First Degree, a class "B" Felony
in the shooting of Dr. Dennis Charney.

On August 29, 2016 at approximately 7:56 a.m., the defendant was parked in the Walgreen's parking lot on King Street in Chappaqua. He was waiting for the victim to exit Lange's Deli. Video surveillance evidence showed the defendant had stalked the victim for several days prior to the shooting.

When the victim left the deli, the defendant retrieved a loaded shotgun from the trunk of his car. He walked towards the victim, took aim and fired one shot, hitting him in the shoulder and chest area. The defendant remained there and was subsequently arrested by New Castle Police officers. The victim was removed by ambulance and was hospitalized for five days.

Subsequent to his arrest, the defendant stated to police that he was the one who shot the victim. The defendant was a research assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He was fired in May 2009 by a committee that included Dr. Charney. The victim is the dean of the medical school.

DWI
At 2:30 a.m. August 6, Javier Contreras, 26, of New Rochelle, was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated (first offense), aggravated DWI with a blood alcohol level of .18 or more with no previous violations and moving from a lane unsafely. While conducting traffic enforcement on Post Road, police noticed Contreras's 2012 Jeep Wrangler swerve and hit the curb. Patrol subsequently conducted a traffic stop. Contreras told police he had consumed several beers a few hours earlier at a bar in Mamaroneck. Contreras displayed physical signs of intoxication and failed field sobriety tests. An alco-sensor screening test revealed a blood alcohol reading of .17. Contreras was then arrested and taken to headquarters. There, a Datamaster test measured Contreras's blood alcohol level at .21. Contreras was released to his mother with an appearance ticket for August 9. His car was secured in the parking lot of Scarsdale High School.

Stolen in Edgewood
On August 2, a Bradley Road woman reported her 7-year-old son's $300 orange Diamondback bike was stolen from Davis Park. The theft occurred between 8:30 p.m. and 8:50 p.m., August 1, while her son was playing on the playground. She was with him at the time. When mother and son arrived at the playground, they parked the son's bike near two other bikes. When mother and son wanted to leave the playground, the son's bike was gone. However, the other two bicycles were there, as well as the children who owned those bicycles.

On August 5, a Post Road man reported his 13-year-old son's black iPhone 6 was stolen from the sideline of the basketball courts at Hyatt Field while the son was playing basketball. Three teenagers were sitting on a bench near the iPhone when the boy placed it there. Approximately 10 minutes later, the boy looked over to where he had placed his phone and noticed it was gone. At that time, he also noticed that the three teens were also gone. Police are following up.

Car break-in
A man from Texas reported that his parked 2015 Dodge Journey was broken into on Greenacres Avenue, and his wife's black Coach brand purse was stolen from under the front passenger seat August 6. He said he parked the car there around 2 p.m. to take a walk with his family on the bike path while visiting from Texas. When he returned to the car around 3:40 p.m. and noticed the driver's front window smashed. The stolen purse contained approximately $300 cash and assorted personal papers. Credit card companies were called and the wife's stolen credit cards were cancelled.

Identity theft
On August 1, a Fox Meadow Road man reported a fraudulent Sprint account was opened using his Social Security number and address. The email address associated with the account was not the same as the man's personal email account. The account had accumulated unpaid charges and the man received a collection letter about them. At that time, he contacted Sprint and reported the account as fraudulent. He was advised to file a police report and inform the three major credit reporting bureaus.

On August 3, an Ardmore Road woman reported that an unauthorized person cashed a fraudulent Citibank check in her name. Citibank informed her of the incident and closed her account.

On August 4, a Boulder Brook Road woman noticed a large sum of money missing from her Bank of America checking account. She looked into the matter and learned someone cashed two fraudulent checks in her name. The checks were made out to an unknown woman. The Boulder Brook Road woman reported the matter to her bank and police. Police confirmed that the checks were counterfeit, as the woman still had the original checks, bearing the same numbers as the fraudulent checks, in her checkbook.

D.O.A
Mollie Dreyer, 97, of Mamaroneck Road, died at home August 3.

Domestic matters
An Edgewood woman called police, asking for assistance in removing her adult son from her house July 31. When police arrived, the son was sitting on a chair on the woman's front porch. The mother said her son was not welcome at her house. She said he showed up at her house from an unknown location and asked to use the family car. The mother did not open the door, and she did not allow her son to use the family car. Patrol asked the son if he needed any medical assistance, and he declined. He voluntarily left the area via taxi. Patrol discussed their limitations in the legal ability to remove an occupant from a private dwelling, in circumstances such as the present matter.

A Quaker Ridge woman asked police to stand by while she and her son removed personal belongings from their house, which was occupied by the woman's husband July 31.

Police accompanied a Heathcote woman into her house to retrieve personal clothing as per a court order August 2. The woman and patrol were accompanied by the woman's female friend. An amended Order of Protection was attached to documents already secured at police headquarters. The woman was advised to abide by court orders and to communicate with her attorney regarding any other matters pertaining to the incident. According to the police log, police determined it was reasonable for the woman's friend to accompany patrol into the house due to the woman's "recent encounter with patrol whereby inappropriate sexual remarks were made."

Arrest on warrant
On August 4, Marquisiah Williams, 36, of Elmsford, surrendered on the strength of an active bench warrant issued out of Scarsdale Village Justice Court on November 14, 2014. She was released on her own recognizance, with an appearance ticket for August 8.

Assistance
A resident of The Ambassador, an assisted living community on Saxon Woods Road, called police at 3 a.m., August 1. She said she needed help getting up from her bed. Patrol notified Ambassador staff, who said the woman was already being helped by nurses and a lift assist was not necessary.

Patrol checked the welfare of a Popham Road woman and confirmed everything was OK with her August 3.

An off-duty White Plains police officer informed Scarsdale police that an Alzheimer's patient, known to WPPD, was seen walking south on Post Road, near the White Plains border August 3. Patrol found the man near the intersection of Farley and Brewster roads. The man identified himself, could converse with patrol and seemed to be in a clear state of mind at the time. He said he was out for a walk, as recommended by his doctor.

Open door
A house sitter found a Brewster Road house with the front door ajar August 1. She asked patrol to check the house, and patrol confirmed everything was in good order. The house was secured.

Wallets
A caller reported seeing the contents of a wallet strewn about the water located next to the Bronx River Parkway footpath, south of the county tennis courts, August 1. Police notified Westchester County police.

New Rochelle police asked Scarsdale police to contact a Jefferson Road resident who had left her wallet at a Starbucks in New Rochelle August 3. Patrol assisted the woman in making contact with New Rochelle police and a transfer of the wallet was arranged.

Basketball hoop
A Tompkins Road resident asked patrol to check her broken basketball backboard August 2. Patrol observed webbed cracking throughout the entire surface of the backboard. Patrol could not determine a point of impact, since the entire backboard was affected, and all cracks were small in nature. It did not appear to patrol as if the backboard had been struck by a tool or object in a criminal manner. Patrol observed more extensive damage behind the breakaway rim and asked if anyone had dunked on the rim recently. The resident said, "No." The resident said the damage happened on July 30, and she had already reviewed video surveillance of the basketball hoop to determine if anyone had been nearby it. No one was seen on the video footage, according to the resident. Patrol suggested the damage was possibly a combination of wear-and-tear, age and weather conditions. The resident said the basketball hoop was over 10 years old and she just wanted patrol to check it before contacting the manufacturer about warranty information.

Keys
Keys to a Depot Place business were found stuck in the door lock at 2:30 a.m., August 3. The business owner was notified and said he would respond when the business opened at 5 a.m. Patrol monitored the area in the meantime.

Parking summons
A Webster Road woman received a letter from the NYC Finance Department informing her that a parking summons was issued to her registration on July 12, 2017, with a $0 balance. The incident allegedly occurred in Brooklyn. The woman wanted police to document the matter since the woman claimed she was "never in Brooklyn." Patrol advised her to contact the DMV and NYC Department of Finance for further information and follow-up.

Wrong stop
A 16-year-old girl got off the Metro North train at the wrong stop at 2:49 a.m., August 6. She went to Scarsdale Taxi stand and called police. She said she was a resident of Cedar Knolls, Hawthorne. Patrol met up with the girl at the Central Taxi depot. Patrol helped her contact an adult who came to Scarsdale to pick up the girl and drive her home. Patrol stood by until the girl was safely picked up.

Suspicious shoppers
An employee at the LF Store on Boniface Circle reported three women "were acting suspicious" in the store August 6. She said while one woman walked around the store with handfuls of clothing, another woman went outside to their car. When that woman came back inside the store, the third woman went outside and walked to the their car. Eventually, all three of the women were back in the store. They only purchased one item, combined, before they left. The employee said they left the scene in a silver Mazda 6 with NY license plates. After the women left, another employee said she thought one of the women looked like someone who had stolen merchandise from the store in the past. Patrol advised the employees to check security cameras to determine if any merchandise had been stolen from the store.

Scofflaw
On August 2, police saw a car with an active scofflaw status parked on Scarsdale Avenue. The car's owner, a Garth Road resident, had accumulated unpaid parking tickets amounting to $365. He also was parking in a permit only area without a permit. The car – a 2017 white Subaru Outback – was towed to the police impound lot.

Cars and roadways
A Birchall Drive resident complained that a neighbor was having a driveway paved and that construction trucks were blocking the resident's driveway July 31. Patrol observed the situation and noted that trucks were parked approximately 15 feet away from the resident's driveway. The job foreman reported work would be done within one to two hours. As a courtesy, the foreman moved the trucks an additional ten feet away from the resident's driveway.

A car trunk was inadvertently left open in a Whig Road driveway. Patrol noticed it at 3 a.m., August 1, and informed the homeowner.

Patrol notified the highway department about an abandoned tire left on the side of Post Road, for removal, August 1.

Illegally parked cars on Freightway Road were issued summonses August 1.

A caller reported a private car parked by his driveway on August 3 and 4. He asked police to check it out. Patrol spoke to the driver of the car and learned the driver was an employee of a security company, engaged by Con Edison to monitor an open transformer on Popham Road. The driver moved his car away from the caller's driveway but said he needed to stay in the area until the transformer could be repaired.

A concerned caller reported seeing a motorcycle cruising around Sage Terrace and Putnam Road, with two child passengers who were allegedly not wearing helmets August 5. Patrol searched the area for the motorcyclist and kids but did not find them.

Patrol removed a fallen branch from Post Road August 5.

Con Edison cleared a fallen tree from wires and the roadway on Richbell Road August 6.

A caller reported an aggressive driver cut her off and shouted at her at the intersection of Post and Heathcote roads August 6. The driver was allegedly driving a black Mercedes Benz sedan with a NY license plate containing the letters HNW. Patrol checked the area but did not find the car.

Patrol saw a driver throw a cigarette butt onto the roadway at the intersection of Claremont Road and Walworth Avenue August 6. Patrol issued a summons for littering.

Seven car accidents were reported in the village this week.

Animals
Patrol contacted the highway department to remove a dead skunk from Mercer Court August 1.

A Fox Meadow Road dog got loose from a dog walker and ended up on Paddington Road August 1. Police reunited the dog and the dog walker. The dog walker was advised to keep better control of the dog and issued a verbal warning.

A loose tan-colored dog was found on Popham Road at 1 p.m., August 2. The owner was contacted and informed patrol she could not pick up the dog until after 6 p.m. New Rochelle Humane Society then picked up the dog and took custody of it, pending pickup from the owner. A summons was mailed to the owner.

Patrol assisted in returning a loose Park Road dog to its owner August 3.
A caller reported three dogs ran after him and chased him the parking lot of Balducci's market August 5. He believes the dogs came from a Secor Road address. Patrol canvassed the area for the dogs but could not find them.

After a neighbor complained of noise, a Crest Lane dog owner brought the dogs inside August 6.

Civil matter
A painter called police for assistance in resolving a verbal altercation with the resident of a Copper Beech Lane house August 3. The painter said he had finished painting the resident's ceiling and was expected $500 payment, as per a verbal agreement. The resident said she believed the painter might have broken a thermostat in the house and therefore was hesitant to pay the painter at that time. She called her husband and gave the phone to patrol. After some time, the husband agreed to pay the painter a portion of the money. He said he wanted to investigate why the thermostat was not working properly before remitting the total payment to the painter. Patrol reminded all parties that their dispute was civil in nature.

Village code
After neighbors complained of noise, police advised a Willow Road resident to be mindful of noise. The resident agreed.

A Penn Boulevard resident was advised to lower the volume of party music August 4.

Lost and found
A passerby found a wallet at Secor and Wynmor roads and gave it to police July 31. After several unsuccessful attempts to contact the Mamaroneck Road owner, police vouchered the wallet at headquarters for safekeeping.

On July 31, a Brewster Road woman reported losing her driver's license somewhere in the village on or around July 24.
Two HSBC credit cards were found on Walworth Avenue August 1. The person who found them gave them to police.

On August 4, a woman reported losing her car's registration card somewhere on Chase Road.

A set of keys, containing an Audi car key, was found on East Parkway near Christie Place August 5.

A Cohawney Road woman reported losing her driver's license in White Plains August 6.

Firefighters
An electrical transformer exploded on a utility pole on Carman Road August 2. Some houses lost power. Firefighters stood by for Con Edison.
A reported possible gas odor in a Brown Road house was caused by an outdoor skunk spray August 3.
A smoke odor on Palmer Avenue was caused by a legal outdoor fire pit on Lawrence Road August 3.
A Park Road gas dryer was emitting carbon monoxide and gas August 4. Firefighters shut down the washer and dryer, ventilated and stood by for Con Edison.
A barbecue grill gas line malfunctioned and could not be turned off at a Farley Road house August 4. Firefighters disconnected the gas supply and advised the homeowner to have the grill serviced before using it again.
This week, firefighters assisted at four car accidents in the village and on parkways. They responded to 16 false carbon monoxide and fire alarms, caused by device malfunction, construction dust, cooking smoke, shower steam and low battery.

This report has been compiled from official information.

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