Former Quaker Ridge Golf Club Employee Arrested; Young Woman Tricked out of $5K in Phone Scam

Arrest: On Feb. 3, following a police investigation into the alleged theft of property from Quaker Ridge Golf Club and damage to golf course greens and fencing by a former employee, police arrested Dennis Blagrove, 35, of the Bronx. Blagrove, a former employee of the Club, was charged with second-degree criminal mischief, fourth-degree grand larceny and second-degree criminal mischief – all felonies. According to witnesses, Blagrove was observed stealing a high-end Cappuccino printing machine valued at $2,000 from a Club building and driving his car across the greens and through a fence, causing at least $13,000 in property damage. He was arraigned at Scarsdale Village Justice Court and released on his own recognizance. A future court date was set for Feb. 10.

Scams
A Palmer Avenue man received a call from someone alleging to be his son Feb. 3. The caller posing as the man’s son claimed he had been in an accident out of state and needed money to be wired to a lawyer to be bailed out of jail. The caller provided the man with a number of a person who was allegedly his lawyer. The man called the “lawyer” and received instructions to send cash via a kiosk at a Mobil gas station. The man got suspicious and called his son. The son was fine, and the man realized the call had been a scam. No money was sent.

On Feb. 5, a 19-year-old Franklin Road woman was contacted by people alleging to be federal agents investigating an identity theft crime that occurred in Texas. The alleged agents told her that fraudulent activity transpired in the recent past under her identity that was serious in nature. The alleged agents then advised her to secure her assets. The alleged agents instructed her to withdraw $5,000 from her bank account and buy gift cards to “submit for safekeeping.” The woman reported that she received an additional phone call that displayed the Scarsdale Police contact number on her caller ID. An unknown individual posing as a Scarsdale police officer then verified that the incident with the proposed federal agents “was accurate and to comply with them.” The woman said she bought multiple gift cards in the amount of $5,000 and supplied the “agents” with the gift card redemption numbers over the phone.

Stolen
An Overhill Road woman reported ordering three masks, which were reportedly delivered by a package carrier Feb. 3; however, when she opened the package, the masks were missing. She required a police report for replacement.

Identity theft
On Feb. 6, a Gorham Road caller reported seeing two unknown charges on her Chase Bank account in December. The bank is following up.

Fraudulent unemployment claims
A Gatehouse Road woman reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name Feb. 1.
A Post Road woman learned from her employer’s human resources representative that someone attempted to file a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name Feb. 1. However, the claim was rejected.
A Post Road man reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in his name Feb. 3.
A Rugby Lane woman reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name Feb. 3.
A Mamaroneck Road woman reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name Feb. 3.
A Greenacres Avenue woman reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name Feb. 3.
A Church Lane man reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in his name Feb. 3.
A Brewster Road man reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in his name Feb. 4.
Another Brewster Road man reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in his name Feb. 5.
A Lee Road woman reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name Feb. 5.
A Drake Road man reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in his name Feb. 5.
A Black Birch Lane woman reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name Feb. 6.
A Coralyn Road woman reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name Feb. 6.
A Barry Road man reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in his name Feb. 6.
A Penn Boulevard man reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in his name Feb. 7.
A Meadow Road woman reported that an unknown person filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name Feb. 7.

Dispute
A resident of a Post Road group home reported a verbal altercation that “became physical” with a housemate Feb. 1. No injuries were reported or observed. Staff said they were aware of the ongoing issues between the resident and her housemate. Staff said they would inform their supervisors.

Boulders
A Meadow Road woman reported her “big [landscaping] boulders had been pushed into the roadway Feb. 5. Upon arrival, police noted three large boulders were in the roadway, creating a hazard. The highway department responded to move the boulders back in place. Tire tracks were observed in the yard, possibly indicating that a dual-wheel truck pushed the boulders out of place. The boulders are valued at $2,000.

Suspicious
A caller who said he was out for his daily walk saw three individuals on bicycles with flashlights at Popham Road and Church Lane at 3:30 a.m., Feb. 7. The individuals fled when the caller noticed them, the caller said. Police canvassed the area, but the individuals were no longer there.

Sledding
A family was sledding on Post Road and a 20-year-old daughter got separated from the family Feb. 1. Around 8 p.m., the family reported that the young woman was missing. Police found her walking home and offered her a ride the rest of the way. She accepted the ride and declined medical attention.

Snow
A Brown Road resident reported his neighbor was shoveling snow from the neighbor’s property and depositing it in the roadway Feb. 2. Police spoke with the neighbor who was in the process of digging out his car and clearing his driveway. He said he would remove the snow he had thrown into the roadway.

A Lockwood Road resident reported her neighbor placed a large amount of snow in her driveway Feb. 3. Police went to the scene for observation purposes and noted snow in front of the driveway, seemingly deposited by a passing snowplow. Police attempted to talk with the neighbor about the complaint, but the neighbor dismissed patrol and told patrol to “go home.” Patrol then observed a small amount of snow in the resident’s driveway and offered to assist her in cleaning it, but she refused patrol’s help.

A driver stopped her car at Post and Edgewood roads Feb. 7. She told police she was waiting for her husband to arrive to drive her car away from the scene for her because she was concerned about driving in the snow.

Alarms
A water pipe might have broken in an unoccupied Sprague Road house, causing flooding and a water alarm to sound, Feb. 2. Police notified firefighters and firefighters entered the house and turned off the running water. Later, on Feb. 2, the same alarm started sounding in the same Sprague Road house. A neighbor reported it to police. Police contacted the homeowner, and he said he would respond within an hour to silence the alarm. Police issued him a Village code violation summons for unnecessary noise.

Workers
At a mother’s request, police asked a Con Edison worker to leave a Farley Road house and reschedule a gas monitor installation at a more convenient time for the mother Feb. 5. The worker had shown up while the mother’s teenage sons were home alone, and this was not a comfortable situation.

Help
An elderly gentleman needed assistance in getting from East Parkway to New Rochelle at 5:50 p.m., Feb. 3. Police arranged for a taxi to pick him up.

A Bradford Road resident noticed water was leaking from a neighbor’s house and called police Feb. 5. Police noted an outdoor spigot had frozen and caused a pipe to burst. They shut off the water supply and informed the homeowner to call a plumber.

Police checked the welfare of two 80-year-old Chateaux Circle residents after a caller had not heard from them in days, the caller said, Feb. 6. Police checked on the residents, who were “alive and well.”

Suspicious car
A 2007 Acura was observed in the Quaker Ridge School parking lot at 3 a.m., Feb. 3. Police woke up the sleeping driver, a 28-year-old Manchester, Connecticut, man, and interviewed him to determine why he was there. The driver was unable to provide proof of ownership or registration for the car. Also, temporary license plate tags out of Vermont and Texas were not found to be valid. The temporary tag from Texas was found in a glove box and contained an owner’s name that was different from the driver’s. The glove box lock was also noted to be broken, and the glove box was lying on the floor of the passenger seat. For these reasons, police impounded the car and called a taxi for the driver. The driver was issued two summonses – for unlicensed driving and an unregistered motor vehicle.

Cars and roadways
On Feb. 1, after a van got stuck in snow on Dell Road, police helped push it back onto the roadway where the driver could safely maneuver it. Police also asked the highway department to plow the street.

Police asked a Springdale Road resident to move her car from the road to make way for a snowplow Feb. 2.

Police issued a parking summons to the owner of a car parked in a restricted area, marked off by cones, in the Freightway parking lot, Feb. 3.

Police provided traffic control on Post Road while a Bee Line bus received emergency repairs Feb. 5.

Police assisted a driver, whose car got stuck in snow at Mamaroneck and Saxon Woods roads, by calling a tow for the driver Feb. 6.

Police notified Verizon about a low-hanging wire on Griffen Avenue Feb. 6.
Some ATVs were spotted riding around Saxon Woods Golf Course in the snow Feb. 6. Police notified Westchester County Police for follow-up.

A caller requested assistance “catching a Bee Line bus” at Post and Burgess roads Feb. 6. Before police could arrive, the caller informed dispatch she had successfully caught the bus.

Police conducted traffic control around a disabled vehicle on Post Road while the driver waited for a tow Feb. 6.

Police asked drivers to remove their cars from a Palmer Avenue parking lot in order to plow Feb. 7.

Police conducted traffic control around a vehicle with a broken axle following a snow “spin out” on Mamaroneck Road while the driver waited for a tow Feb. 7.

On Feb. 7, a Village dump truck performing official duties in a snowstorm was backing up on Swarthmore Road and accidentally clipped the corner of an unoccupied parked car in a driveway. An accident report was created, and the owner was informed.

Objects
A driver reported a car “cut him off” at East Parkway and Popham Road, and then the car’s driver allegedly threw a single AA battery out the window at him Feb. 5.

A pizza delivery driver reported the driver of a silver Toyota threw unidentified objects out the car window at the delivery driver’s car and other cars in the area of Garth and Popham roads Feb. 5.

Animals
On Feb. 2, a Brite Avenue woman reported there was a raccoon by her side door that “wouldn’t move.” She said the raccoon looked “unwell.” Police observed that the raccoon was injured. The raccoon then moved from the rear of the Brite Avenue house to a neighbor’s back yard. It was a safe distance from all houses and police received permission to dispatch it to put it out of its misery. It was then picked up by the sanitation department for disposal.

Noise
A neighbor complained about kids playing basketball and being noisy on Stratton Road at 10:45 p.m., Feb. 6. Police observed the kids playing in an open garage but did not deem the noise to be excessive. Police reminded the kids to keep the noise level down, and the kids said they were almost done with their game and would be going inside soon.

Lost and found
A Fox Meadow Road woman found keys on her front sidewalk and gave them to police Feb. 1. Police vouchered them for safekeeping.

A passerby found an iPhone on Depot Place and gave it to police Feb. 3. Police identified the owner and returned the phone.

An Overlook Road man reported losing his wallet somewhere in the Village Feb. 3.

Firefighters
On Feb. 1, firefighters addressed a broken second-floor heating pipe that was leaking water into recessed lighting fixtures in the room below, inside a Kensington Road house. Firefighters isolated the heating zone at the boiler to stop the leak. They also shut down affected circuit breakers. The homeowner was advised to seek service from a plumber and electrician.

Contractors reported a gas odor in a Black Birch Lane house where they were doing work Feb. 2. Firefighters shut gas to the house and ventilated with fans. Con Edison responded to remedy a discovered gas leak.

Firefighters shut off a boiler and gas utilities in an abandoned Sprague Road house following water leaking from a burst pipe Feb. 2.

Firefighters stood by for Con Edison at the site of a reported gas odor on East Parkway Feb. 4.

A Rock Creek Lane homeowner reported flooding inside her house Feb. 4. Firefighters shut off the water, and the homeowner said she would call a plumber for repair.

Firefighters responded to a Cooper Road house on a report of an indoor burning odor Feb. 7. The homeowner reported a problem with the circuit breaker leading to an outdoor heating pad. Investigation revealed no hot spots or visible electrical issues. There was significant water damage in the basement walls and ceilings from a previous incident, however. The breaker panel was cool, and the breaker in question was “off.” Firefighters advised the homeowner to have an electrician come and investigate the issue further.

This report covering police and fire department activity from Feb 1-7 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.