Suspicious Car Leads Detectives to Evidence of Stolen Checks, and Parents and Kids Urged to be on Alert for Suspicious Person

A new gas line is being installed on Walworth Avenue.On March 15, at 3:30 a.m., police encountered a black Chevy Camaro stopped at a stop sign on Overhill Road for an unusual amount of time. Police approached the car and noticed it was occupied by two young males. One was wearing a black sweatshirt and black ski mask. The other was wearing a red hoodie. The driver, in the ski mask, said, “We can leave if you want.” Police instructed the driver to put the car in park and turn off the motor. The driver said, OK” but then sped away, turning onto School Lane and Brown Road. While attempting to catch the speeding car, police noticed it was lacking a front license plate and the back plate could not be distinguished. On the dead end of Brown Road, the car drove onto a lawn, hitting a tree and a parked car. It continued to flee. Police asked for backup. Shortly thereafter, other officers encountered the car, unoccupied, at School Lane and Popham Road. Police impounded the car, registered out of New Jersey.

Further investigation revealed stolen mail from several jurisdictions inside the abandoned vehicle, along with materials, a belt and sticky rat traps, used to “fish out” mail from mailboxes. The vehicle was impounded and processed. The US Postal Inspector was notified. This incident is currently being investigated by Scarsdale Detectives. If anyone has any further information on this incident, please contact the Scarsdale Police Investigation’s Section at 914-722-1200.

Since late fall, 2021, there has been a spike in mail thefts throughout the county and in Connecticut immediately north of Westchester County. Thieves are stealing mail, accessing the contents and when checks are discovered, they are forged. As a reminder to the community, avoid leaving mail in your mailbox if that mail contains checks or bank information. Do not put the “flag” on your home’s mailbox to the raised position – this alerts thieves to the fact that mail is inside. Do not leave bank or sensitive information in your recycling bin that thieves could exploit – securely shred this information. Check your online banking activity daily to be alert for any suspicious or fraudulent activity. If you do need to mail a check, mail it inside your local post office.

Protect your kids
On Saturday, March 19 at approximately 4:45 p.m., an 11-year-old girl was playing near Garth and Popham Roads when a male in a passing car, whom the child did not know, stopped, rolled down his window and motioned to the youth. The male then exited his car and motioned to the child again and stated “Come, come.” The child, who was in the area with other children, entered a building on Garth Road and the male left the area. A short time later, a parent reported the incident to the Scarsdale Police. The person in the vehicle is described as a black male, wearing a black “beanie” style hat, with a mask down around his chin and wearing a black t-shirt. This male was reported to be driving a black Toyota sedan. This incident is currently under investigation by the Scarsdale Police Department’s Detective Division. Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to call the Scarsdale Police at 914-722-1200.

Stolen car
An Acura was reported stolen from a Boulevard driveway overnight between March 15 and 16. Later the owner called police to say that the reported theft was due to a miscommunication among family members.

On March 16, a Bradford Road resident reported that her $75,000 BMW X7 was stolen from her driveway. The incident was captured on video surveillance.

Stolen
On March 14, a Garden Road resident reported that a package was stolen from her front doorstep. It contained clothing valued at $45 from Amazon.

Identity theft and stolen checks
On March 14, a Gorham Road man reported that someone opened a checking account in his name. Someone then attempted to deposit four checks into the account. The account was flagged as fraudulent, and the account was closed.

On March 14, a Dickel Road man reported someone fraudulently took funds from his account. The funds matched the amount on a check that the man had mailed to the water department. The water department, however, never received the check.

On March 14, a Gorham Road resident three fraudulent checks were withdrawn from his Chase bank account. The checks totaled $84,069.36.

On March 15, a Post Road woman reported someone stole a check she had written to a medical office, washed the check, altered it and attempted to cash it for about $5,000 on March 8. The original check had been written on November 14, 2021, and it had been mailed from her personal mailbox.

On March 16, a Hampton Road resident reported her identity was fraudulently used to obtain insurance.

On March 17, a Lenox Place resident reported a check had been stolen from her mailbox, altered and cashed for $16,900.

On March 19, a Boulevard resident reported that two lines of credit had been fraudulently opened in her name – at Target and Costco.

On March 20, a Fenimore Road man reported his son’s personal information was compromised because of a security breach in December 2021.

Criminal mischief
A Hillandale Close woman reported someone threw a jar of salsa on her driveway, shattering the glass and making a mess March 14. She thinks one of her daughter’s friends threw the jar.

On March 18, an Old Lyme Road resident reported his car had been damaged while parked in his driveway. At approximately midnight, the resident heard two loud noises outside and saw a possible SUV at a stop sign. Upon checking his parked car, he noticed “keyed” damage to the fender and driver’s side mirror.

Domestic
An Edgewood man reported his intoxicated wife left their property in a car en route to a liquor store at 1 p.m., March 14. Police canvassed the area for the wife and her car but could not find her.

On March 15, an Edgewood man reported his wife was yelling at him as the result of a disagreement over the disposal of garbage. Police mediated the argument, and the couple was advised to remain separated for the night.

Suspicious
A Ridgecrest West resident saw a man wearing a black hoodie and pants on his property via video surveillance March 14.

Shortly before 9 p.m., March 19, a Heathcote Road resident reported a woman pulled into her driveway and exited the car with a case of beer. She was insistent that she had a delivery for the resident. The resident denied placing an order for delivery, and the woman left.

Help
An elderly Saxon Woods Road resident called police asking where she should sit for dinner March 16. Police spoke with front desk employees who said a facility aide was already assisting the resident.

An elderly man wearing a neon shirt was attempting to cross a Sherbrooke Road stream but was unsteady on his feet and fell a few times March 18.

Policed performed welfare checks of Parkfield Road and Gilmore Court residents due to a power outage March 18 and 20. All was in good order.

A three-year-old child accidentally got locked inside a bathroom in the child’s Meadow Road house March 19. The parents called police, but before emergency services could arrive to help, the parents creatively bypassed the lock, and the child got out.

Neighbors
On March 15, a Weaver Street resident reported that his neighbor was banging on a wall complaining that the resident’s TV was too loud. Police tried to make contact with the neighbor, but the neighbor did not answer the door.

Civil matters
On March 17, a caller reported her was having difficulty collecting money from his employer, following an incident that occurred on Nov. 18. Police advised the caller that it was a civil matter and suggested he follow up with a lawyer.

On March 19, a female driver told police she brought her car to a Scarsdale Avenue service station for service, and after she picked up the car, she noticed the car was displaying new mechanical issues. She assumed the problems were a result of the mechanic’s actions. Police attempted to speak with the mechanic, but he had already left the shop. Police advised the driver that this was a civil matter.

Arrest
On March 19, police arrested Tatiana Cepeda, 27, from Passaic, NJ, on charges of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle with three of more suspensions on three separate occasions, operation of a motor vehicle by an unlicensed driver, speeding and operation of a motor vehicle without insurance. These offenses were revealed during a traffic stop for speeding on Bypass. Following her arrest, Cepeda was released on her own recognizance with an appearance ticket for Village Justice Court.

Bicyclist struck
On March 15, a car at Fenimore and Brewster roads struck a bicyclist, who was a student on the way to school. Injuries appeared to be minor, and firefighters notified parents while Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps tended to the bicyclist.

Cars and roadways
On March 15, a caller reported seeing a white Kia Optima drive onto the sidewalk in front of Scarsdale High School, “almost hitting a pedestrian.” The car was not there when police arrived. No injuries were reported.

An abandoned car was reported at a Mamaroneck Road temple March 17. It was interfering with school drop-off. Police called the car’s owner, and the owner said the car was left there because it had car trouble overnight. The owner was in the process of getting the car towed.

Police notified Verizon about fallen wires on Scarsdale Avenue March 17.

On March 19, a sanitation worker requested help on East Parkway due to a disabled Cushman.

On March 20, police asked a driver to move his car from a Kingston Road driveway belonging to a house for sale.

Police helped a pedestrian cross Weaver Street March 20.

Five car accidents were reported in the Village this week.

Animals
A Popham Road resident reported a coyote in his backyard March 17. The animal ran away and appeared to be healthy.

On March 17, a neighbor complained about a Continental Road resident’s loudly barking dogs. The resident apologized and said she had let the dogs out to relieve themselves.

An opossum was spotted in a Benedict Road driveway March 20. The animal was gravely injured, so police shot it to put it out of its misery. The carcass was disposed of properly.

Lost and found
On March 17, a Potter Road woman reported her daughter’s cello had been stolen the previous day. It had been left on a walkway, and the woman thought someone might have mistaken it for trash.

On March 18, an Old Orchard Lane man reported losing his red iPhone while riding from Greenburgh to Scarsdale in a Lyft on March 17. Later, the man told police that he believed he located his phone on Facebook Marketplace, for sale. He arranged to purchase the phone and asked the seller to meet him at the public safety parking lot. There, the serial number of the phone that was for sale did not match the serial numbers of the man’s lost phone. So, it was determined to be a different phone.

On March 19, a passerby turned in a found iPhone. Police returned it to its owner, who lost it.

A passerby turned in a found wallet to police March 19. Police identified the owner and returned the wallet.

On March 20, a person found a wallet in an Uber and brought it to police. It contained cash and out-of-state checks.

Village code
On March 14 and 15, police issued summonses to landscapers using gas-powered blowers in violation of Village code. They issued other landscapers warnings on March 15.

Workers were using water from a fire hydrant to wash construction tools on Secor Road March 15. Police issued the workers summonses.

On March 16, policed issued summonses to landscapers for using gas-powered blowers in violation of Village code on Beechwood Lane and Fenimore and Elm roads. They issued a warning to landscapers on Innes Road March 16.

On March 18, police issued summonses to landscapers on Innes Road who were using gas-powered blowers in violation of Village code. They issued other landscapers warnings that same day and on March 20.

Mistaken park
The driver of a car parked on Saxon Woods Road, got out and entered the Golf Course March 19. Police asked the driver what he was doing on the course. He said he was eating lunch there because he mistakenly thought it was a park.

Firefighters
This week, firefighters assisted at car accidents at Fenimore Road and Brite Avenue.

On March 20, firefighters taped off an area around an exploded transformer at Post and Olmsted roads and stood by for Con Edison.

Firefighters stood by for Con Edison at the site of a Fox Meadow Road gas leak March 17.

A gas-powered power washer released carbon monoxide into a Chesterfield Road basement March 18. Firefighters ventilated the space and advised on proper use of gas-powered equipment.

Firefighters stood by for Con Edison at the site of a transformer explosion on Walworth Avenue March 18.

A Montrose Road resident accidentally got locked out of the house March 18. Firefighters assisted.

Firefighters stood by for Con Edison at the site of a transformer explosion on Olmstead Road March 20.

This report covering policed and fire department activity from Marc 14-20 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.