Police Report: CVS Shoplifter Arrested after Returning to Steal More

On Dec. 27, the manager of the Popham Road CVS reported that video surveillance showed a man stealing approximately $2,400 worth of cosmetics from the store between 2:57 p.m. and 5:17 p.m. that day. The video showed the man emptying products from a seasonal display and shoving the products into his coat. He was described as a tall man with a shaved head wearing black pants, black and white Nike sneakers and a black coat. He had keys around his neck and was wearing black sunglasses. The next day, on Dec. 28, the on-duty CVS manager reported the shoplifting suspect had returned to the store. Police went to the scene and arrested him. At the time of arrest, the suspect – identified as Jose Hernandez, 43, of New York City, had approximately $180 in cosmetics concealed beneath his sweater. He was also found to have a pipe with heroin residue in it inside his pants’ pocket and black plastic bags inside his jacket. Hernandez was charged with grand larceny, petit larceny, fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was remanded to Westchester County jail and is due to appear at Scarsdale Village Justice Court with a Legal Aid attorney, on Jan. 2. A record check revealed that Hernandez was wanted by police departments in New York City and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Hernandez’s car had temporary plates and was registered to an auto dealer in New Jersey. Because the validity of the temporary plates could not be confirmed, police impounded the car. Hernandez claimed he had driven the car from Manhattan to Scarsdale. During investigation, Hernandez revealed a woman had been working with him as a lookout in the course of his shoplifting crimes at CVS. Police are following up.

Stolen funds
On Dec. 26, a Huntington Avenue resident reported funds from a gift card were stolen via the internet. The resident said she purchased three $400 Lowes gift cards from an online gift card reseller in August 2017. She used $946.92 of the combined balance of $1,200 in September 2017. On Dec. 26, 2018, she attempted to use the remaining balance of $253.08 but learned the gift card was empty. She contacted Lowes and was told that the original purchaser of the gift card contacted Lowes in October 2017 and asked that the balance of the gift card be placed back onto the credit card used to purchase the gift cards. The billing address of the original owner of the gift cards was somewhere in Connecticut.

Missing mail
While a Crossway woman was out of the country, her doorbell surveillance system captured video of a person stealing mail from her mailbox Dec. 28. She reported it to police, who checked the mailbox and confirmed no mail was inside. The woman said she would report the stolen mail to the post office after returning home. She would also provide police with the video surveillance footage.

Woman at door
An unknown woman allegedly rang a Tompkins Road doorbell after midnight Dec.26 and told the resident she wanted to talk. When the resident asked if she needed help and offered to call police, the woman reportedly starting yelling and then left in a silver sedan. Police searched the area for her but did not locate her or her car.

Window
A window at a village church was found to be open Dec. 26. Police informed a church administrator, and he said he would speak with the church custodian about rectifying the window.

Lost ring
A Chase Road woman reported a jeweler lost her $20,000 engagement ring that she entrusted to him for repair. The jeweler admitted to losing the ring on Dec. 5 and offered to replace it or compensate her for her. When she elected for him to compensate her, he cut off communication with her. The woman wanted to report the loss to police for insurance purposes.

Train emergency
A passenger passed out in the restroom of a train car on a Metro North train Dec. 26. The train stopped in Scarsdale, and police and Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps assisted in removing the man from the train. A friend of the man said he had been drinking heavily and might have also used heroin. SVAC took him to White Plains Hospital Center. MTA police also assisted with the incident.

Dog
On Dec. 25, a caller reported a dog on Cooper Road had been outside barking for three days. Police went to the scene and saw the dog, which was indeed barking. The owner was not home, and police called him. He said he was in Vermont and had left the back door open for the dog to go in and out during his absence. The back door, however, was closed, and the dog’s food and water were shut inside the house. For the dog’s safety until the owner returned from Vermont, police called New Rochelle Humane Society and requested that the dog be picked up. Police informed the owner and issued him appropriate village code violation summonses.

Cars and roadways
Verizon was notified about low-hanging wires on Overhill Road Dec. 27.
A woman was sleeping inside a parked car in the lot beneath the CVS store on Popham Road at 10:45 p.m., Dec. 29. The woman told police she had just gotten off work at CVS and was sleeping before driving home due to a migraine headache. She declined medical assistance.

On Dec. 29, police received reports of an unattended 2002 red Mitsubishi parked in the middle of Butler Road. Police went to the scene and noted the car had an expired registration and inspection sticker. Police contacted the person listed on the registration, and the person who answered the phone said he had just sold the car, and it was no longer his. The new owner was allegedly a Butler Road resident. Police contacted the new owner who confirmed he had just purchased the car. The new owner said the car died on the road on the way home. He was unable to produce a bill of sale, so police removed the license plates due to the lack of registration. A tow truck took the car to the police impound lot.

Six car accidents were reported in the village this week.

Lost and found
A passerby found a Chase bank debit card on Garth Road Dec. 29. Police vouchered it for safekeeping. Later that day, the owner contacted to police looking for his debit card. He provided proper identification and retrieved the card.

Firefighters
Firefighters responded to 30 incidents during this reporting period. Details of some of the incidents are below.
On Dec. 24, firefighters extinguished a small fire inside a Taunton Road fireplace because a damper problem was preventing smoke from venting properly.
On Dec. 25, firefighters helped an Ardmore Road resident reattach a basement light fixture that became detached from the ceiling.
Firefighters stood by for Con Edison because of gas odors in the sewer system on Stratton Road Dec. 25.
Firefighters provided mutual aid to New Rochelle Fire Department Dec. 27.
Firefighters assisted at a car accident on the Bronx River Parkway Dec. 27.
On Dec. 27, a Boulevard resident lit a fire in the fireplace without opening the flue. This caused smoke to enter the house. The resident extinguished the fire. Firefighters helped the resident open the flue and ventilated the house.
Firefighters helped Con Edison check a few houses on Heathcote Road due to a gas odor outside Dec. 28. Gas was not found in any of the houses.
Firefighters assisted at a car accident on Mamaroneck Road Dec. 28.
Firefighters assisted at a car accident on Fenimore Road Dec. 29.

This report covering police and fire department activity from Dec. 25 – 30 has been compiled from official information.

This police report is sponsored by Scarsdale Security who does more than just security. Contact them about remote video for your home or business. Call 914-722-2200 or visit their website.