Police Report: Nor'Easter Puts First Responders to the Test
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- Written by Traci Dutton Ludwig
- Hits: 6039
Bringing persistent rain and damaging winds, a powerful nor'easter put the village's first responders and resources to the test March 2. The storm took out a considerable number of trees and utility poles, many of which also brought down electrical wires. The Village declared a state of emergency due to risks associated with the overwhelming number of closed roadways and live wires on the ground. Village public works' crews, firefighters, police and Con Edison teams assigned to the village worked tirelessly to restore safe conditions to the Village. In response to continuing power outages in some areas, the Scarsdale library extended its hours and became a makeshift warming station, with electricity, WiFi and free coffee. The Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps headquarters also opened its door to residents seeking warmth and electricity during the days following the storm. SVAC president David Raizen invited residents to use SVAC's facility, on Weaver Street, for "warmth, phone charging, warming a meal, showers, TV and Internet" from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. However, no pets were allowed at SVAC or the library. In addition, residents with power or generators opened their doors to neighbors or Facebook friends whose homes remained without electricity into the week.
Identity Theft
On Feb. 28, Scarsdale police were contacted by a police detective in Derry, New Hampshire, in reference to an unauthorized withdrawal that occurred on Dec. 5 from the Bank of America branch located on Christie Place. Scarsdale police went to the branch and interviewed the manager and a teller who was working on the day of the incident. Upon review of a photo of the person who made the withdrawal, the bank manager and teller said they did not recognize the person as a regular customer. Scarsdale police passed along this information to the New Hampshire detective.
Package
On March 3, a Harvest Drive woman reported a package arrived at her house addressed to an unknown person. She did not order the package. Later that day, a man rang her doorbell and requested the package. The woman's housekeeper gave the package to the man. The man was last seen leaving the scene in a white, four-door sedan, driven by a woman.
Trash Cans
A Woods Lane woman reported a neighbor placed trash on her property Feb. 26. Patrol spoke with the alleged owner of the trash, who said she had temporarily moved trash off her property so her house could be photographed for a real estate listing. Patrol reviewed village code regarding trash and sanitation pickup, and all trash was moved back on the appropriate property.
Door
An Authenreith Road resident reported his neighbor's door had been open for at least an hour Feb. 28. Patrol checked the house and confirmed nothing was out of place before they closed and secured the door.
Pedestrians
An Uber driver walked into headquarters to report he saw a woman walking on Post and Kingston roads after midnight Feb. 28. The driver thought the woman might be in distress. Patrol went to the area and found the woman. She said she had a dispute with "a taxi driver dropping her off at the wrong location" and then allegedly "kicking her out." She said she was now walking to her final destination. After patrol spoke with the woman and expressed concern, the woman called a friend to pick her up.
On March 3, police called a taxi for a woman who wanted to go to a hotel. A language barrier existed, but the woman had a hotel key card that facilitated communication.
Phishing
A Brite Avenue resident reported receiving calls and texts from various numbers, seemingly with the purpose of obtaining personal information Feb. 28. Patrol advised him to block the calls or change his phone number if the calls and texts became too annoying.
Phone
A 90-year-old Olmsted Road woman reported she had lost phone service and was afraid she might lose power and not be able to charge her phone and contact emergency services if needed March 2. Patrol confirmed the woman's house had power and that the woman's cell phone was charging before patrol left the house. Patrol notified Verizon about the disruption in the woman's landline service.
Family Function
A man walked into headquarters on March 2, and he reported he was hosting a family function the next day. He told police an individual known to him would not be welcome at his house. He told police he would advise the individual. Patrol told the man he could call them if the individual showed up at his house.
Parking Ticket
A Hathaway Road woman reported she attempted to pay an Eastchester parking ticket online and was concerned that the website she used might not have been legitimate March 3. She said she canceled the credit card associated with the transaction. Patrol advised her to monitor her credit history for any unusual activity.
Damaged Cars, Houses
A large tree branch, from a village-owned tree, fell on a 1998 Toyota parked on Ogden Road March 2. The owner of the car and the highway department was notified.
A falling tree damaged a 2015 Ford on Saxon Woods Road during the windstorm March 2. The owner of the car was a resident of Saxon Woods Road. No injuries were reported.
A tree fell on a 2017 Honda Civic in a Popham Road parking lot March 2.
Two village-owned trees fell onto a Harvest Drive property March 2. The trees damaged the resident's retaining wall, pool, patio and patio roof. Police notified the highway department.
A tree uprooted and fell on Fenimore Road March 2. It took down phone and cable wires, caused a hole to break in the sidewalk and damaged a homeowner's rock wall. The highway department was notified.
A village-owned tree fell on a Rock Creek Lane house March 2. The building department responded to evaluate the safety and integrity of the house.
A falling tree on Walworth Avenue heavily damaged A 2015 Honda CVR March 2. The owner of the car called police for assistance. The car was towed to an auto body shop since it was no longer roadworthy.
A private tree fell on a Weaver Street house, causing significant damage, March 2.
A private tree fell on a 2010 Ford on Cooper Road, on private property, March 2.
A Woods Lane woman said a tree fell on her house and car March 2. She did not request a police report.
A falling tree severely damaged a Lorraine Place house, prompting firefighters to shut all utilities to the house, March 2. The residents were evacuated, and police provided rides for security purposes.
Trees fell on houses, all on private property, on Mamaroneck, Taunton and Ferncliff roads March 2. Firefighters and the building department were notified to check the integrity of the structures.
Cars and Roadways
Police picked up a fallen street sign at Butler and Hampton roads and gave it to the highway
department for replacement Feb. 26.
An electrical transformer exploded on Olmsted Road and residents on Olmsted Road and Tory Lane lost power Feb. 26. Con Edison was notified.
Patrol stood by while a driver changed a flat tire on Post Road Feb. 27.
Two legally parked cars were making the roadway a bit tight on Tompkins Road Feb. 27. Police located the car owners and asked them to slightly move their cars to open up space and ease traffic flow.
A Richbell Road resident parked his car in a neighbor's driveway while construction vehicles were using his driveway Feb. 28. The neighbor did not recognize the car and called police. Patrol sorted out the confusion and the resident moved his car.
On Feb. 28, police advised the highway department of a pothole in the crosswalk between East Parkway and Christie Place. A pedestrian reportedly tripped in the pothole but was not injured.
A sign for the Bronx River Parkway had fallen into Butler Road Feb. 28. Police removed the sign from the ground, propped it up against a rock and notified Westchester County police.
A hand truck fell onto the road at Post and Crane roads Feb. 28. Shortly thereafter, a truck driver returned to the scene to retrieve the fallen hand truck.
Six car accidents were reported in the village this week.
Storm Incidents
A street sign blew over on East Parkway March 2. Patrol removed the loose sign from the roadway and notified the highway department.
A car sustained a flat tire after driving into a pothole on Post Road while trying to avoid a fallen branch March 2. Patrol helped the driver move her car into the parking lot of Village Hall where she waited for a tow truck to arrive.
On March 2, police and the highway department responded to reports of fallen trees, branches or utility poles on Mohican Trail, Oak Way, Boulevard, Crossway, Sage Terrace, Brittany Close, Lorraine Place, Gilmore Court, Harvest, Birchall and Rural drives, Weaver and Cornell streets, Woods, Morris, Normandy, Forest, Deerfield, Oak, Wayside and Church lanes, Palmer, Brite, Griffen, Greenacres, Walworth and Grand Park avenues and Barry, Post, Secor, Corell, Oxford, Mamaroneck, Garden, Heathcote, Crane, Sherbrooke, Cushman, Donellan, Fox Meadow, Fenimore, Brewster, Aspen, Claremont, Boulder Brook, Saxon Woods, Rodney, Stratton, Jefferson, Richelieu, Hamilton, Paddington, Tompkins, Shawnee, Duck Pond, Wildwood, Brookby, Lincoln, Brambach, Lakin, Oxford, Cambridge, Mayflower, White, Richbell, Bradford, Kelwynne, Olmsted, Whig, Overlook, Dolma, Popham, Park, Lockwood, Putnam, Spier, Dunham, Eton and Lee roads. In some cases, trees and poles took down phone and/or electrical wires. Some fallen electrical lines resulted in burning wires and power outages. Patrol closed roads, taped off dangerous areas and notified Con Edison, firefighters and the highway department as needed. Temporary stop signs or generators for traffic lights were erected at intersections affected by power outages. Roads with dangerous live wires were monitored for safety.
Animals
A Cambridge Road woman reported a hawk picked up a squirrel and dropped it after the woman yelled at the hawk March 1. The squirrel was injured but alive, the woman said. She was concerned it might be suffering. Patrol observed a motionless squirrel lying in the woman's backyard. Patrol offered to provide contact information for local trappers, but the woman declined further assistance.
On March 1, a woman walked into headquarters and reported she was knocked over by a large yellow Labrador being walked on a leash on Rodney Road Feb. 22. At the time, she allegedly fell to the ground and had muscular pain. However, after symptoms did not improve, the woman consulted a doctor and discovered she actually sustained a fractured tibia. She said she did not know the dog's owner, but she would attempt to obtain that information from a possible witness.
Village Code
On Feb. 28, police issued a summons for a noise violation to a Cushman Road property owner after a loud generator was found to be running on the property at 9 p.m.
On March 3, police observed a generator running at a Cushman Road construction site with no workers present. Patrol notified the builder, who is a Scarsdale resident, of the condition. On March 4, a caller complained the generator was still running. The builder said the generator was necessary to keep the site from flooding during the power outage in the area. Patrol said that after the village's state of emergency was over, the builder would have to comply with village code and obtain a permit to operate the generator. The building department was scheduled for follow up. However, in the meantime, the caller complained again – immediately after the state of emergency was rescinded around 8 p.m., March 4. The caller urged police to take enforcement action. Police then contacted the builder and requested that he shut down the generator. The builder said he could not comply due to the risk of potential flooding during the ongoing power outage. Patrol issued the builder a village code violation.
Lost and Found
Keys were found near the intersection of Huntington Avenue and Sage Terrace March 3. They contained a Mount Vernon library ID card. Police called the library and obtained the name of the library cardholder. Police called and left a message for the person.
On March 4, a Morris Lane woman reported losing a flash drive from her purse sometime between Feb. 22 and 28. The drive contained a summary of a movie, written by the woman, she said. She told police she was in Colorado until Feb. 26, but her purse was secure at all times. Patrol advised her to reach out to police agencies in Colorado.
A person reported losing a license plate somewhere in the village March 4.
Firefighters
According to Scarsdale Fire Chief James Seymour, the fire department responded to 118 documented incidents this week, including two small fires and a car accident involving a rollover.
From Friday afternoon, March 2, to Saturday evening, March 3, 89 documented incidents were related to the rain and windstorm.
Additionally, Seymour estimated that firefighters responded to an additional 75-100 storm related incidents that did not go through the normal reporting and dispatch channels. The majority of all storm related calls were for fallen and/or burning wires and transformers, fallen trees, trees striking houses or cars, flooding and alarm activations due to power outages.
Seymour shared the following narratives related to fire department activity this week.
On Feb. 26, firefighters were dispatched to an Oak Lane house for an odor of gas in the basement. Upon arrival, Con Edison was already on scene. Firefighters found high levels of carbon monoxide throughout the house and an odor of something burning. They checked an exterior storage area beneath a patio and discovered recyclable materials were smoldering with fire and heavy smoke. Firefighters extinguished the fire, overhauled the area and ventilated the house. The Westchester County cause and origin team was called to the scene. The house was ventilated of all carbon monoxide. The homeowner reported that an appliance repair person had been at the house earlier to fix the stove and dishwasher. The repair person returned to the scene and said he turned some electrical breakers on and off while trying to isolate power to the dishwasher. The repair person showed firefighters an electrical breaker that he said had been tripped. When he turned it on, a fan noise could be heard and then the breaker tripped again. That electrical breaker was labeled patio storage. The cause and origin team determined the fire was accidental and the result of an electrical failure.
On Feb. 26, a hot tub on a Meadow Road patio, located approximately two feet from the house, caught fire. Firefighters extinguished the fire with a hose line. A nanny and children smelled smoke, noticed the fire and evacuated the house before calling 911. The hot tub was destroyed by the fire. There was no fire extension to house, and no apparent heat damage to house. An interior check found no readings of carbon monoxide inside house. The homeowner last used the hot tub approximately one month ago. Electrical service and circuit breakers to the hot tub were "on," but the tub itself was "off." The cause of the fire was determined to be an apparent electrical malfunction.
Firefighters responded to a car accident with injuries on the Hutchinson River Parkway March 2. The car accident resulted in a vehicle rollover into a stream. Upon arrival, firefighters found a car resting on its roof in approximately 12 inches of water. Two occupants had gotten out of the car themselves and were in care of Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Firefighters used equipment to block the scene until patients were loaded into the ambulance. An expedited response was requested due to possible hypothermia. Westchester County police released firefighters from the scene and were standing by for vehicle removal.
This report covering police and fire department activity from Feb. 26 – March 4 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.
Monday Morning Power Outage Update
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 6161
Good Morning Monday! Though as much of a third of Scarsdale remains without power, schools are open today, Village Hall will reopen, the library is open and it's business as usual (almost).
The State of Emergency, which barred cars and pedestrians from using Village roadways was officially lifted on Sunday night, but the Village Manager reports thay many Village roads are still hazardous and traffic lights are out. There are trees and power lines down in many locations. The Village warns that "a non-functioning traffic light serves as a mandatory stop sign, whether a stop sign is posted or not."
Over the weekend it appears that Village crews removed many of the trees blocking major roads, which eased traffic. Many smaller roadways are still blocked by downed trees and wires. However, the public works crews are unable to touch the power lines --so power has not been restored to those who were knocked out on Friday afternoon.
Village Manage Steve Pappalardo reports that 200 Con Edison crews are headed for Westchester on Monday morning, and that Con Edison's goal is to bring power back to 57,000 customers in Westchester by Tuesday night. Let's hope! The Village has also promised a complete list of outages on their website. So far it does not appear to be up and we don't have a count of how many homes are without power.
Here's what else has been reported:
The Scarsdale Library will have extended hours and welcomes anyone who wants to get warm and charge their devices.
School are fully operational and will resume their normal schedule including after school activities and the Board of Education meeting on Monday night March 5.
For those whose child's bus stop is blocked by trees or fall wires, the school asks you to call the Bus Transportation Office at 721-2433 and 721-2434 to coordinate pick up.
We received many great photos from all over town this weekend.
Guy Gurden was happy to see Walworth Avenue cleared by Village Crews. However, the trees are still suspended on the wires.
Kelwynne Road, behind the middle school is also blocked – check out this photo. Traffic into the school will undoubtedly need to be re-routed.
Greeenacres Avenue was also still blocked on Sunday night:
Melanie Spivak shared her story of a large tree that fell in front of her house on Bradford Road, taking down the utility pole and live wires with it. The wires fell on her driveway and blocked the roadway. She called 911 and the police to tell them the wires were on fire but no one came. According to Spivak, "I spent Friday and Saturday trying to contact Con Ed. I finally got through by social media- Facebook messenger and tweeting. They gave me an Emergency Ticket and then sent a man out to assess the situation. He told me my situation was " really bad"! So now he is instructed to watch the tree. He's been there more than 9 hours so far."
Late Sunday she reached the command center in Scarsdale who told her the street was "clear," though the wires remain on the ground. There are now two Con Ed employees stationed on Bradford Road to monitor the wires.
If you see Con Edison trucks making repairs, let us know in the comments section below or send us a photo at [email protected].
Five Westchester School Districts in Lockout on Tuesday, Watchful Police Nab Suspects in Mamaroneck Road Burglary
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- Written by Traci Dutton Ludwig
- Hits: 7763
Five Westchester School Districts went into "lockout" mode on Tuesday morning February 27, following a murder at the Sleepy Hollow Gardens apartments on Route 119 in Tarrytown around 7:15 am. While police pursued the gunman, five districts in the area were locked out, meaning only students and staff could enter the buildings. The five districts are Tarrytown, Irvington, Hastings-on Hudson, Elmsford and Dobbs Ferry. There were not threats to safety inside the schools.
Burglars caught
On Feb. 21, police arrested Vincent Cuccurulio, 31, of White Plains and Christian Rosa, 26, of Valhalla, after they were caught burglarizing a Mamaroneck Road house. They were each charged with second-degree burglary, a Class-C felony. The suspects were arrested after officers in the area observed suspicious activity and began surveillance of the suspects. Cuccurulio and Rosa were observed on the property of a Mamaroneck Road house, east of Palmer Avenue. Officers checked the house and found it had just been burglarized. Drawers and cabinets were open and tossed; rooms were in disarray; and frozen food had been removed from the freezer and left on the kitchen table. The homeowner confirmed jewelry and a jewelry box were missing. The two suspects were taken into custody a short time later at a different location. Property stolen from the burglarized was recovered at the time of the defendants' arrest. The investigation is active and ongoing and additional charges are possible. Both Defendants were arraigned on Feb. 22, at Village Justice Court. They were remanded to Westchester County Jail. Scarsdale police were assisted by police from New Rochelle, Greenburgh, White Plains and Mount Pleasant.
Suspect caught
Scarsdale police assisted Eastchester police in apprehending one of two suspects allegedly involved with a larceny at the CVS store at Post Road and Brook Street, in Eastchester, Feb. 25. Scarsdale police were called to assist near the intersection of Bell Road and Boulevard around 6:15 p.m., Sunday evening. They set up a perimeter at Montgomery and Post Roads. Around that time, a resident called Scarsdale police to report seeing one of the suspects walking in the area of Boulevard and Clarence Road. Police went to the area and saw the suspect, approached him and "asked him to stop, turn away and put his hands behind his back." The suspect allegedly kept asking the officer why he was being stopped, and the officer was thus prompted to un-holster his Taser, order the suspect to his knees and call for backup. The suspect allegedly responded to this command and cooperatively waited until backup arrived. At that point, he was handcuffed, and soon thereafter, taken custody by Eastchester police. A witness positively identified the suspect, a 22-year-old Brooklyn man. Eastchester police are following up.
Reported car theft
Responding to a report of a 2015 Jeep Cherokee stuck in the middle of a field, on Heathcote School grounds, on Palmer Avenue, Feb. 21, police found a gray Jeep Cherokee there. The car was registered to a Taunton Road resident. Patrol observed a floor mat and a spare tire beneath the Jeep's wheel and a jack beneath the driver's side door, which indicated an attempt to remove the car from the muddy field. A can containing an alcoholic drink, "Four Loko," was also found near the Jeep. The desk officer contacted the Jeep's owner. The owner said his son used the Jeep the previous night to go to Chop't and 7-Eleven in the village. However, the owner alleged that his son returned home with the car. The owner further said he believed his son left the keys in the car, and the car must have been stolen. Police had the Jeep towed to the impound lot for further investigation. Upon questioning the owner's son to gather additional information, the 20-year-old son said he left work at Chop't at 11:30 p.m., Feb. 20, went to 7-Eleven and immediately continued on his way home. He said he arrived at home at 11:45 p.m. and parked the car in the driveway, most likely with the keys left inside the car. He told police he had nothing to do with the car being driven over Heathcote Field and left there. A custodian at Heathcote School documented damage to the field.
Identity theft
On Feb. 20, a Jefferson Road caller reported a PayPal Credit account and an Ally Bank account were fraudulently opened in her name. She closed the accounts, and police advised her to notify the three credit reporting bureaus.
On Feb. 21, a 23-year-old Brooklyn man walked into headquarters and reported his cousin fraudulently used his identity during a traffic stop conducted by Scarsdale police on Aug. 10, 2017. At the time of the traffic stop, three summonses for traffic violations were issued to the cousin, but falsely under the name of the Brooklyn man. The cousin is allegedly 30-year-old and also from Brooklyn.
On Feb. 24, a Julia B. Fee realtor reported that prospective tenants were using false identity information in an attempt to rent a Post Road house. Upon running the prospective couple's credit reports, fraud was detected in the credit reports. When police further attempted to check information in the driver's licenses supplied by the couple, the police database stated that the drivers' licenses "were not on file."
Copper theft
A Greenacres Avenue resident reported approximately 1,000 square feet of scrap copper was stolen from his driveway Feb. 20. The roll of copper was left over from a roofing job.
Photos
A contractor reported a black Suburban stopped in front of his job site on Fox Meadow Road, and the driver took several photographs, outside and inside the two houses being built, before leaving the area Feb. 20. A Verizon worker was present at the scene while the unknown person was taking photos.
Sewage
A Rochambeau Road homeowner reported sewage was backing up into her house Feb. 20. The highway department was notified.
Door
On Feb. 20, police found an unlocked door at a Garth Road business. They contacted the owner and secured the door with a padlock found in the business.
Shrubs
On Feb. 21, a Highland Way woman reported a large truck might have accidentally mounted the curb and damaged some shrubbery on her lawn. Police looked at the damaged shrubbery, and the damaged did not appear intentional or criminal.
Elevator
A person reported getting stuck in the elevator in the Freightway Garage but was able to get herself out of the elevator Feb. 23.
Car service
A caller reported a dispute with an Uber driver Feb. 22. The caller said he was in an Uber and the driver was taking him in the wrong direction from his desired destination. The caller phoned police and asked to get out of the car at Walworth Avenue and Colvin Road. The Uber driver was no longer there when police arrived. Patrol called Central Taxi for the caller.
Cars and roadways
On Feb. 19, a Penn Boulevard resident asked police if they could help him register a car, titled in Indiana, in Florida. Police told the resident they cannot act as an agent of the State of Florida.
Police placed traffic cones in a large pothole at Heathcote and Brookby roads Feb. 20.
On Feb. 20, a mother accidentally locked her keys inside her car with her 14-month-old child on Olmstead Road. Heathcote Gulf was contacted and promptly unlocked the car. The child was unharmed.
Police informed the water department of a dislodged water cap on Nelson Road Feb. 20.
The highway department removed a fallen branch from Chase Road Feb. 20.
A man was found to be asleep in a parked car on Windsor Lane at 5:30 a.m., Feb. 21.
The car was partially obstructing a driveway. Police called the mother of the sleeping man, and she came to the scene to move the vehicle and take her son home.
The highway department was informed about a possible sinkhole near a catch basin on Carthage Road Feb. 21.
A bicycle chained to a parking meter on Chase Road was obstructing a parking space Feb. 23. Patrol left a note for the bicycle's owner to remove it from the parking meter and use the bike rack in the future.
Police saw a man attempting to push a disabled vehicle on Palmer Avenue Feb. 24. Police attempted to speak with the man, but a language barrier prevented communication. Police called the registered owner of the car, and the owner moved it.
The driver of a parked car on Valley Road told police he had stopped his car in order to text someone Feb. 25. Nothing criminal or suspicious was occurring.
Four car accidents were reported in the village this week.
Civil matter
A cleaning woman called police to report a Greenacres Avenue resident was refusing to pay her for cleaning services performed at the resident's house Feb. 23. She told police the resident said she was not satisfied with the work, and that's why the resident was not paying her. Patrol spoke with the resident who stated portions of the house were damaged during the cleaning process, and these damages needed to be repaired. The resident then agreed to pay the cleaning woman a reduced rate due to the damages. Payment was made while police were on the scene.
Dogs
A woman found a loose pit bull on Stratton Road and confined the dog in a dog cage that she owned Feb. 25. Police notified New Rochelle Humane Society to pick up the dog.
Lost and found
A bicycle was found at the corner of Palmer Avenue and Mamaroneck Road Feb. 22. Police took it to headquarters for safekeeping.
A Brown Road man found an iPhone watch while taking a walk on Tisdale and Taunton roads, and he gave it to police for safekeeping Feb. 23.
Firefighters
On Feb. 21, a Gorham Court housekeeper reported a chemical odor in the house. She told firefighters she had been using the stove and a dryer when she smelled the odor. Firefighters thought the odor smelled like "new carpeting," but the housekeeper doubted that was the cause of the odor. The carpeting company confirmed the new carpet could release an odor after installation. Con Edison was also called, and a small gas leak was discovered in a pipe near the meter. Con Edison shut gas to the house and advised the homeowner to call a plumber. Firefighters ventilated the house.
Exhaust steam from a heating system at a Lockwood Road house was mistaken for smoke by a neighbor Feb. 23. Firefighters confirmed there was no fire or danger.
A Tompkins Road resident was concerned because she spilled water on a power cord for a water dispenser while trying to change the water bottle Feb. 25.
Firefighters checked the integrity of the cord and found it to be in good condition.
The circuit breaker for the outlet did not trip, and the water dispenser was operating normally. Firefighters advised the resident to clean up the water spill.
Firefighters shut power to a hot electrical light switch and capped its wires in a Harvest Drive house Feb. 25. They advised the resident to call an electrician for replacement.
On Feb. 25, a Mamaroneck Road homeowner accidentally left a stove burner in the "on" position without an active flame. A natural gas odor was detected in the house, and the homeowner ventilated the space. Firefighters checked the house for natural gas, and meters confirmed there were no readings of explosive gas in the house.
This week, firefighters assisted at three car accidents in the village and on parkways. They responded to one false carbon monoxide alarm and 14 false fire alarms, caused by device malfunction, cooking smoke, shower steam, dust, plumbers' work, a water leak and a battery change.
This report covering police and fire department activity from Feb. 19-25, 2018 has been compiled from official information.
Saturday Morning Storm Update: 1,533 Outages Reported in Scarsdale
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 9611
(Updated at 10:30 am) As of 10:30 am, the State of Emergency remains in force in Scarsdale to allow time for Con Edison to cut power to the downed lines that may still be energized.
According to Village Manager Steve Pappalardo, "Public Works crews continue to work clearing trees, removing wood and opening roadways not impacted with downed power lines. Con Edison has assigned a line cutting crew to the Village who are working to safely cut electrified power lines, utilizing the Village's inventory of street closures, so Village crews can remove the trees and begin opening these roads. In addition, a Village Building Inspector is currently inspecting the safety of certain homes damaged by felled trees.They have not provided an estimated time when the work will be completed."
In addition, he warns residents to stay away from power lines: ..."Please be reminded that if you must go outside, to stay away from any power lines or wires, and do not remove any barricades or Police tape. Please call the Police Department at 722-1200 if barricades and tape need to be restored at any location.
(Saturday morning 3/3) The March 2 storm has crippled Scarsdale and Westchester County. Con Ed reports that one sixth of their Westchester customers are without power and in Scarsdale, 1,533 separate outages have been reported. As of Friday night, 33 Village roads were closed. The State of Emergency that prohibits driving or parking or walking on Village streets remains in force.
All Scarsdale Recreation programs for today are cancelled. Scarsdale Public Library is closed for today.
Police Report: Cleaning Woman Arrested for Stealing Checks, Burglary on Tisdale Road
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- Written by Traci Dutton Ludwig
- Hits: 6539
Arrest
On Feb. 15, police arrested Nefalif Valverde, 22, of the Bronx, on a charge of petit larceny. She is accused of stealing bank checks, valued at $2,300.50, from a Corell Road homeowner. She allegedly stole the checks while providing a cleaning service for the homeowner.
Burglary
On Feb. 17, police were called to a Tisdale Road house on the report of a burglary. The homeowner said she came home with her daughter and found the house's front and side doors open. They went through the house and found drawers and cabinets open throughout the house. Jewelry, an antique coin collection and other personal property were missing. According to the police report, some of the jewelry had been in a box located behind a living room curtain, which was now determined missing. Among the stolen pieces of jewelry were a $12,000 gold Hermes watch, a $20,000 two-carat diamond engagement ring, a $10,000 Ebel gold watch and a $1,000 gold wedding band. Police are following up. Later that day, while investigating the burglary, police found a credit card belonging to the homeowner's daughter outside the house. Patrol returned the credit card to the daughter.
Shoplifting
On Feb. 16, the manager of Decicco's Marketplace, on East Parkway, reported a customer was shoplifting from the store. The manager followed the customer to her car in the Christie Place garage, where he said he observed her placing unknown items underneath her front seat. The manager told police he has reason to believe the woman, from Yonkers, has been shoplifting from the store for an extended period of time. Patrol asked him if he saw the woman steal items from the store that day, and he said "no." Patrol advised the manager he could call back and file a report if he observed items missing from the store or if surveillance video captured images of the shoplifting. Patrol asked the woman if she would consent to a search of her car, and she said "no."
Stolen
On Feb. 17, a Cooper Road resident reported his credit card, Social Security card and $40 cash were stolen from his wallet sometime during the past two days. After realizing the credit card was missing, the man discovered four fraudulent charges, totaling approximately $600, had been made on the card.
Computer scam
On Feb. 14, a Wakefield Road woman reported $200 had been stolen from her bank account. She said that on Jan. 25, she contacted what she believed was Amazon.com by phone. She wanted to inquire about a return and asked to speak with a representative. While speaking with representative, the rep said there was a "problem" and he referred her to a person at another telephone number. The person at the other number told the woman he had to access her computer remotely. After an hour on the phone with the person who had remote access to her computer, the woman was told that she would have to pay $200 to "fix the problem." At that point, the woman felt something was not right, and she shut down her computer and informed police. Now, several weeks later, she observed two unauthorized $100 charges against her bank account.
Electric bill scam
The owner of a Christie Place salon reported receiving a call from someone purporting to be from Con Edison Feb. 16. The person told her that her electricity would be turned off if she did not pay "her bill" that day. The person instructed her to purchase a $500 MoneyPak card, which she did. The person then instructed her to provide him with the identification and pin numbers on the back of the MoneyPak card in order to pay the bill. At that time, the owner realized this incident was probably a scam, and she did not provide the person with any further information. Thus, she did not incur any financial loss.
Hacking
A Johnson Road business owner reported that his company's mobile communications app was hacked, and a total of $5,911.57 in calls were fraudulently made using customers' accounts, without their permission, on his service. The business owner refunded his customers. He needed a police report to proceed with a fraud investigation with IDT Domestic Telecom, the vendor that connected the fraudulent international calls.
Identity theft
On Feb. 19, a Chateaux Circle woman reported her identifying informed had been used to make multiple unauthorized purchases on her Macy's credit card. The seven transactions totaled $2,205.10 and were made at the Roosevelt Field Macy's location. She closed the account and reported the fraud to Macy's. Police advised her to notify the credit reporting agencies and monitor her accounts.
EZ Pass
On Feb. 18, an Ardmore Road woman reported her parked and unlocked car had been entered on Feb. 17. Her windshield-mounted EZ Pass was found on the front seat, and her rear passenger dome light was on. Nothing appeared to have been taken from the car. Officers examined the car, and determined that no larceny attempt had occurred. Cash and sunglasses were in plain sight inside the car, and these items were left undisturbed.
Homeless
A 36-year-old homeless man entered the post office lobby because he was cold during the early morning hours of Feb. 12. When post office employees arrived, they told the man he must leave before the post office opened at 8:30 a.m. Police asked the man where he was going to go, and the man said he would not go to a shelter. He said he had already been to 10 shelters and the people there "hurt his feelings." He said he had money to take the train, and he planned to go to either New York City or White Plains.
Hole
Police taped off an area around a hole near the sidewalk and grassy area at Post and Huntington roads Feb. 12. The highway department was notified for repair. On Feb. 16, due to further damp conditions, a "no turn on red" sign near the hole was starting to lean. Highway workers removed the sign and placed it on the ground, pending repair. They barricaded the area until maintenance can be completed.
Bag
A caller reported a suspicious blue bag left outside on Popham Road business for over an hour Feb. 13. Patrol spoke with an employee who said the bag contained laundry and had been placed outdoors for pickup. Patrol advised the employee to keep the bag inside the office to avoid further concerns.
Food trucks
Patrol was called to mediate a dispute between two food truck vendors who arrived to sell food at the same construction site on Morris Lane Feb. 14. Police confirmed that both vendors had valid permits to sell food in the village. Patrol recommended that the vendors agree on an arrangement between themselves in order to both work successfully in the village and avoid future incidents.
Pictures
The principal of Greenacres School reported a man was seen outside the school taking pictures, allegedly of students during morning drop off Feb. 15. A school aide asked him to stop taking pictures and leave. The man did not respond due to a purported language barrier. The aide was able to photograph the man and his car. Patrol checked the license plate of the car, and it came back to a local resident. Patrol went to the resident's house, and the man photographed by the aide answered the door. Due to a language barrier, the man requested that his son-in-law come to the door. Patrol spoke with the son-in-law, who reported that his father-in-law was visiting from China. That morning, the father-in-law took his grandchildren to school and took pictures of them going into the school. Police reported this information back to the principal of Greenacres School. Everything was determined to be in good order.
Bicycles
A caller informed police about a girls' purple bicycle on the ground near the entrance to the park on Potter Road Feb. 13. The bike was unchained and dirty. It appeared to have been there for an extended period of time. Patrol removed the bike and took it back to headquarters, where it was vouchered as found property.
Police took note of a bicycle locked to a street sign for several days on Woodland Place Feb. 16. Notes had been left on the bicycle Feb. 9, but they were unanswered. Patrol cut the bike's lock and unchained it from its location against a street sign. The bicycle was taken to headquarters and vouchered as lost property.
Scofflaw
Police encountered a parked car with scofflaw status on Scarsdale Avenue Feb. 14. The owner of the car returned before the impound tow truck arrived. Police advised the owner he owed $490 in parking fines to the Village. The owner said he would go to Village Justice Court to address the issue.
Cars and roadways
The highway department was notified about a pothole on Mamaroneck and Secor roads Feb. 12.
Police stood by while a motorist with a flat tire waited for a tow on Post Road Feb. 12.
Three drivers sustained flat tires from a pothole on Heathcote Road Feb. 12. Patrol was informed and placed traffic cones around the hole. The highway department was dispatched to repair the pothole. However, in the meantime, a fourth driver sustained a flat tire from it.
Police stood by while a motorist with a disabled car waited for a tow on Post Road Feb. 13.
A driver ran out of gas on Post Road Feb. 14. Police stood by until the driver's wife returned to the car with gasoline.
On Feb. 16, police called a tow for a disabled car on Post Road.
Police temporarily closed a lane on Post Road while a car's tire was being changed Feb. 17.
A caller advised of a teenage boy in a car acting out against an older female driver on Heathcote Road Feb. 17. The car was heading in the direction of Weaver Street. Police canvassed the area for the car but did not locate it. New Rochelle police were also informed.
A Con Edison wire fell at Kensington and Chesterfield roads Feb. 18. Police notified Con Edison and taped off the area.
Patrol informed the highway department about a broken street light on Heathcote Road Feb. 18.
Patrol informed the water department about a damaged water main cover on Myrtledale Road Feb. 18.
Patrol removed branches from Heathcote and Duck Pond roads and placed caution tape on low-hanging wires Feb. 18. Verizon was notified.
Three car accidents were reported in the village this week, one involving a police car with activated lights and sirens and a 2014 Nissan on Heathcote Road Feb. 13.
Civil matter
On Feb. 16, a Madison Road resident reported he had done business with someone and was having trouble getting paid. That customer allegedly bounced a check and was refusing to pay him. Police advised him it was a civil matter. As a courtesy, patrol attempted to contact the customer, but the attempt was not successful.
Dogs
Police reunited a lost dog, found near the high school, and its owner Feb. 12. The owner was issued a verbal warning.
Police reunited two dogs with their Secor Road owner and issued a verbal warning for having dogs at large Feb. 18.
Village code
Police gave a verbal warning to a contractor working with a power saw at a construction site on Sheldrake Road at 7:45 a.m. Police explained village code regarding noise and designated hours of work.
Lost and found
Police identified and located the owner of a wallet found on Depot Place Feb. 12. The owner, from Greenburgh, picked up his wallet from police.
On Feb. 16, a Palmer Avenue resident reported $5,000 missing from her house. The resident later found the cash.
On Feb. 19, a Carthage Road woman brought a watch to headquarters. She said she found it outside in a grassy area at Wayside Lane and Paddington Road while walking her dog Feb. 16. Police vouchered it as lost property at headquarters.
Firefighters
According to Scarsdale Fire Chief James Seymour, firefighters responded to 34 incidents, including car accidents and EMS assists, last week. Seymour shared details about the following events, below.
On Feb. 14, a burning odor in a Fox Meadow Road house was determined to be caused by a burnt light ballast. Firefighters removed the bulb and advised the resident to replace it.
While in the area after the light ballast call, on Feb. 14, firefighters detected an outdoor natural gas odor coming from a curb box on Fox Meadow Road. Firefighters notified Con Edison and stood by.
Firefighters were dispatched to Heathcote Road for a report of a child locked in a bedroom Feb. 17. The child was talking to his caregiver through the door and was calm. Firefighters were able to open the door's lock without causing damage.
This report covering police and fire department activity from Feb. 12-18 has been compiled from official information.
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