Depraved House Painter Creates His Own Fireworks in Edgewood Basement and more from the Scarsdale Police
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Boulevard residents in Scarsdale got a rude shock when they returned home around 10 pm on Tuesday night July 3rd. The home was in the process of being painted by Butini Painting of Harrison and workers were in the house earlier in the day. However, that night, the resident came home, and thought he heard someone hiding in a third floor bedroom closet. He called police who came to the house, went to the bedroom and called through the closet door.
The intruder made his presence known and came out of the closet. He was identified as Daniel Romo-Gonzalez age 21 of Elmsford and he was searched and arrested for criminal trespass. It turns out that Romo-Gonzalez was one of the painters who had been working in the house. The police report also states that he is married and speaks only Spanish.
But this bizarrre story doesn’t end here. After Romo-Gonzales was taken to the station, police searched the house and found that the basement windows had been covered with cardboard – and they also found the defendant’s lunch box, sneakers, t-shirt and a silicone vagina-style sex toy, which appeared to contain ejaculate. A dark stain had been left on the carpet. It appeared that the painter had quite an evening before retreating to the third floor closet where he was found by the homeowner.
At 3:30 am Romo-Gonzalez was arrainged by Judge Arlene Katz who set bail at $500. His boss agreed to post bail and Gonzalez was released at 4:20 am and given a court date of July 11, 2012.
More Arrests: A car fire in Greenacres on the night of June 28 led to the arrest of a New Rochelle man. Police responded to a report that a car was on fire at the intersection of Walworth Avenue and Fenimore Roads at 10:45 pm on June 28th. They found a 1993 Green Ford Taurus engulfed in flames and extinguished the fire. However, they also found that the car was stolen and had stolen Florida license plates. The driver, Javan Zepher, age 21 of New Rochelle was arrested and charged with criminal possession of stolen property. The car was impounded and Zepher was released on $200 bail and given a court appearance date.
LaVerne Autry, age 54 of Yonkers was arrested for shoplifting at the CVS on Popham Road around noon on June 29th. A store employee spotted Autry putting Advil in her handbag before she went to the register to pay for a can of fruit punch. When the employee stopped her before she left the store he found 3 containers of Enfamil and fourteen boxes of Advil in Autry’s bag. She was charged, released and given a court appearance date.
Mark Daroczy, age 39 of Dobbs Ferry was arrested for driving while intoxicated at 1 am on June 30th. Police got a call about a car making a strange noise on Fountain Terrace and found Darcoczy in his Toyota Avalon stuck because one of the front tires had come off. It appeared that the man had driven off the road and damaged the car when he attempted to get it back on to Fountain Terrace. Daroczy appeared to be drunk and said that he had pulled over when he was driving from the Hudson Grille in White Plains to his home in Dobbs Ferry. He claimed he pulled over because he got a flat but didn’t know how he ended up on Fountain Terrace. He failed sobriety tests and was taken to police headquarters where he was processed and given a court appearance date of July 11. His car was towed to Ted Herman’s.
Misunderstanding: A Nelson Road woman reported that her 12 year-old son was home alone and two men were walking around the property. Police went to the house and found two men who had been hired by Tyler Technologies to do the tax reassessment of Scarsdale
Wandering Toddler: A Wynmor Road woman found a 3 year-old child wandering on Heathcote Road at 11:30 am on June 30th. Police located the child’s mother who said that the boy was attending a party at 1 Heathcote Road and left through an unlocked door. He was unharmed and returned to his mother.
On Colvin Road at 9 pm on 6/28 a woman reported that her neighbor, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, was at her door. When she tried to escort him home, his wife did not answer the door. Police found the man’s wife inside – she was unaware her husband had left the house.
A SCARVAC member called police on the night of June 30th when they found a man with a gas can wandering around the Ambulance Corps building on Weaver Street. The man explained that he had run out of gas and had no money to purchase more gas. He was hoping that someone at SCARVAC could help him. His car was parked across the street at Massa and his wife and child were in the car. Police helped the man out.
A Claremont Road man reported that a man rang his bell on the morning of June 28 and claimed he was there to change some light bulbs. When he asked the man for the name of the residents he was supposed to help the man got into his car and drove off.
Unwelcome: At 6:18 pm on 6/26 police got a call from the Greenacres Security Guard to say he was having a dispute with non-residents who were using the basketball court. Police asked the players to provide i.d., and since no one could furnish identification, they left Greenacres.
Missing: A Park Road man reported that five $100 bills were missing from his wallet on June 29. The home was being repaired following a fire and numerous workers had been in the house.
A Bell Road woman reported that a gold chain valued at $1,800 and her iPhone had been taken from her home sometime on June 28th. While she was out that day her teenage children had several guests at the house but did not provide their names.
Car Trouble: A Graham Road woman woke up on the morning of June 26 to find the windshield of her 2009 Acura shattered and a dent in the hood. The car had been parked in front of her house. It was not clear what hit the car. Damage was estimated at $500.
Another car was egged – this one parked on Tompkins Road overnight from 6/25-6/26. Damage was estimated at $200.
A Lee Road woman reported that someone wrapped their Jeep in plastic on the night of June 29. The wrapping did not damage the car.
Graffiti: Black spray painted graffiti was found on the outside of Scarsdale High School on the morning of June 27. Painted on the school were the initials H.N.S (several times) and N.B. as well as “2013” with four arrows and the words “TFC Bitch Squad” next to one of the arrows.
Police Report: Foiled Burglars and a 15 year-old Driver
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Scarsdale Police Report - Foiled Burglary: A 22 year-old Burgess Road man called the police at 10 pm on 6/21 when he saw two men pulling on the back door to his house. He had just arrived home and was standing in his foyer when he heard a noise coming from the kitchen. He went into the kitchen and heard the door handle jiggle. He then saw two men in dark colored hooded sweatshirts and jeans running across his front yard toward Post Road. The door handle was found on the floor. Police found fingerprints on the glass panes but it did not appear that the house had been entered.
Troublemakers in Greenacres: The head custodian of the Greenacres School, called police on the morning of June 21 to report that the school had been damaged the previous night. He said there was evidence of possible “youth gatherings.” He found beer cans and red cups in the school courtyard and damage to a small fence near the shrubs in the courtyard. A plant was taken out of the ground and put in the garbage. He also said he believes human feces were smeared on the Huntington Road entrance to the school and found a dumpster pushed against a basement door.
That same night, a home on Putnam Road near the Greenacres School was also vandalized. At 8:30 am on 6/21, the residents noticed that feces had been smeared all over one of their cars. In addition, some of the outdoor lights were removed from the ground and thrown across the lawn. Gardening bags were taken from their property and tossed across the street. Garden decorations, shaped like turtles, were also missing.
Egged: A resident of Heathcote Road reported that her car had been egged sometime between 6/15 and 6/17 while it was parked on Heathcote Road.
Gas Main Break: Christopher Scampone, a contractor working on Wakefield Road, struck a gas line at 11:30 am on 6/19. He was trying to remove a water pipe but accidentally hit the gas main. Con Edison had to get into eight homes on Wakefield and Carthage Roads to turn off the gas until the line could be repaired. The Fire Department had to break in to several homes where the residents were not home: In one home they broke a screen, in another they entered another through an unlocked second floor window and got into a third home via an unlocked sliding door.
Frying Pan Fire: At 9:25 am on June 21, a Highland Way woman called to report a fire in her 
kitchen. She had left a pan in the oven that caused a grease fire. She removed the burning pan from the oven, dropped it on the kitchen floor and put out the flames with a fire extinguisher. When the Fire Department arrived, there was smoke coming out of the front and side doors of the house. She and her three sons were taken to White Plains Hospital as a precaution for smoke inhalation.
Transformer Fire: On June 22, a caller reported that a transformer was on fire as a result of lightning on Stratton Road. A transformer in front of the caller’s house had exploded and caused a small fire on the lawn. Con Edison and the Fire Department responded and put out the fire and made repairs. (Photo at top by David Lawless)
Pot Pilferer: At 6 pm on June 22, a caller from Carthage Road reported that a woman had driven by and stolen his neighbor’s planters. The woman, later identified as Helen Antiaris, parked, got out of her car and picked up several flowerpots from the Carthage Road home. The resident’s neighbor, Jay Canell, said that he asked Antiaris what she was doing and in a heavy foreign accent she said, “These garbage.” Canell said, “I don’t think so. You should ask the homeowner before taking them.” Antiaris got in her car and drove off with the pots. Antiaris returned later and told the police that she thought the pots were garbage and that it was okay to take them. She agreed to return the pots and stay away from the property.
Arrest: On 6/18/12, Joel Springer, age 44 of White Plains surrendered himself to the Scarsdale Police in response to an outstanding warrant for speeding and driving without a license in 2008. He was processed and released on $100 bail.
Shrubs: On 6/19, a Larch Lane man complained that his neighbor had cut down some shrubs on his property, Police told the man to inquire about the location of his property line at Village but said that this was a civil matter.
Missing Boy: At 3 am on 6/22, concerned Garden Road parents called police to say that their son went to the city earlier that evening and did not come back. When police arrived at 3:29 am, the boy was located and the parents went to pick him up.
Greenburgh Police Report:
15 Year-Old Driver: Police pulled over a van on Central Avenue at 2:25 am on 6/21 and found that the driver was a 15-year old unlicensed driver. He explained that he had taken over the wheel from Eddy Paiz of Mt. Vernon because Paiz was “swerving all over the Bronx River Parkway.” Paiz admitted to downing eight beers at the Cancun Restaurant and appeared to be drunk. The 15 year-old thought it would be safer if he drove, even though he didn’t have a license. Paiz was arrested for endangering the welfare of a child and for permitting an unlicensed drive to use the car. The van was impounded and the other children in the car were picked up by their parents at police headquarters.
Disputes: The battle between feuding neighbors continued on Elizabeth Street this week when Audrey Pierot called police at 7:30 am on 6/18 to report that her neighbor Micha Marom drove toward her in a bobcat and stopped suddenly in front of her, slamming the metal bucket on the ground. She told police she feared for her safety. Police found Marom driving the bobcat around his property, but he was uncooperative and refused to speak to the police. At 9 am, Pierot reported that Marom had placed several barriers in the roadway, in violation of Village Code.
On 6/17, Marom called police to say that he found damage to his home – the damage was done to some styrofoam that is placed underneath the stucco exterior.
In another construction related incident, a manager from Toll Brothers Construction reported that someone had padlocked the entrance gate to a construction site at 703 Ardsley Road sometime between June 16 and June 18. The man reported that some of the neighbors are upset about the project and that this is the second time the gate was locked.
Two sisters, ages 64 and 61 got into a physical fight about the care of their mother on Thomas Street in Scarsdale on Monday afternoon 6/18. They both ended up on the ground and police broke up the fight when they arrived. Due to anxiety, one of the women was taken to the hospital. Police were unable to determine who was the initial aggressor.
A dissatisfied patient slapped a dentist in the face at Guerrino Dentistry on Central Avenue on the morning of 6/21. Cuesta Figueroa, age 20 of White Plains yelled at the dentist, said he had “ruined her teeth” and slapped the dentist in the face.
On Verne Place in Hartsdale, a resident reported that his car was entered overnight on 6/18 – 6/19. Missing were $20 in change and two softball bats, each valued at $200.00.
A sliding glass door at Central Park Dance on Central Avenue was found shattered on the morning of June 22nd. Nothing else was amiss.
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, http://scarsdalesecurity.com/
Greenburgh Police Conduct High Speed Chase to Track Down Bank Thief
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Another attempted bank fraud led to a high-speed police chase -- including helicopters and a K-9 unit on Friday morning June 15. Police got a call from TD Bank on Central Avenue to report that a woman had just attempted a fraudulent withdrawal of $4,800 from another customer’s account. When the bank employees refused to give her the funds, the woman left the bank and fled the scene in a Blue Infiniti. Greenburgh police spotted the speeding car but were unable to stop it, before the car headed north on the Sprain Brook Parkway at Jackson Avenue. Going more than 100 miles per hour police decided to abort the chase but kept visual contact on the suspect. Police caught up with the car when it was found disabled and unoccupied on the southbound Dobbs Ferry Road entrance ramp to the Sprain – after it drove through a locked security gate.
With help from the Ardsley, Elmsford, Mount Pleasant. NYS and Westchester County Police an extensive search was conducted for the woman and three male suspects. They used police cars, air support and K-9 units and found the driver of the car in a wooded area off Dobbs Ferry Road, uninjured.
He was identified as Markese C. Jones age 22 of Beacon, NY and charged with Attempted Grand Larceny 3rd Degree (a Felony), Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Vehicle in the 2nd Degree (Misdemeanors) and several other traffic violations. He is being held pending arraignment.
The other suspects got away but police continue to search for them.
Missing Person, Naughty Guests, and Party Crashers from the Scarsdale Police
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Missing person: Marc Verzani, the Claremont Road attorney who had been previously charged with travelling to Cuba and violating the “trading with the enemy act” was reported missing by his wife on June 17th. He left home on Saturday the 16th and when he did not return, she called the police. On June 20th the Journal News reported that Verzani was arrested for violating the terms of his bail and is now in federal custody.
Missing car: A 76 year-old Edgewood woman reported that she misplaced her car on the afternoon of June 12. She used the 1998 Lexus to run errands that day but did not remember where she parked it. When she was unable to find the car, she walked home. Police searched the area and notified Eastchester police but were unable to find the car.
Missing boiler: A boiler valued at $7,500 was stolen from the basement of a home under renovation on Greenacres Avenue. The unit connections were neatly cut and the gas line was shut off. The house is not locked and many workers have been in and out of the house. The unit was last seen on June 6 and discovered missing on June 12.
Harassed: Erik Wahlberg of Edgewood reported that he was assaulted at 7-11 on Garth Road shortly after midnight on June 15th. He said that he held the door at 7-11 for two men and one became “verbally combative” and said “Do you have a f ..ing problem?” Wahlberg and a friend proceeded south on Garth Road and were followed by the two harassers who appeared to be drunk. The younger assailant struck Wahlberg in the left side of the head in front of Gionnoni’s, saying “I’m gonna punch someone in the face.” After hitting Wahlberg the two harassers got into a VW and drove off.
Disputes: On the afternoon of 6/15 a woman on Rural Drive called police to ask for help with a dispute she is having with her neighbor about the property line and the placement of refuse. The matter was temporarily resolved by the police. However on 6/17 the woman called again to say that two bags of lawn clippings had been placed on her front yard. Police asked the sanitation department to pick up the clippings.
Police were called to Madison Road on the morning of 6/14 to stand by while a husband removed his belongings from a home there. The attorney was also on the scene while the parties divided their belongings.
Unruly swimmers: The coordinator at Scarsdale Pool called police at 6 pm on Saturday June 16 when some unruly patrons refused to leave the pool area. The troublemakers were guests of pool members and non-Scarsdale residents. Throughout the day they broke many of the pool rules and were spoken to repeatedly. After five hours of disruption, the pool manager asked them to leave but they refused so the police were called. Once they saw the police they collected their belongings and left.
On 6/13 a Brewster Road woman reported that her neighbor was holding some of her mail that was delivered to the wrong address. The two are not on speaking terms. After police spoke to the neighbor she agreed to leave any mail that did not belong to her outside her front door so that the mailman can pick it up.
Arrests: Sether Y. Kim, age 20 of the Bronx, surrendered to police on 6/11 in response to a bench warrant dating back to September 9, 2009. He was taken to Scarsdale Court where he was released on $200 bail and given a court date.
Jon Musella, age 36 of Levittown, NY also turned himself into Scarsdale Police on 6/13 in response to an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court and jumping bail. He was sent to Westchester County Jail and given a court date of June 20th.
Car break-ins: On Bradley Road a 2006 Mazda was vandalized overnight on 6/10 – 6/11. The right passenger window was broken and the insurance card and registration card were taken. At the time of the break-in, the car was not locked.
Overnight on 6/11 – 6/12, a Honda Odyssey parked in the driveway of a Brewster Road home was entered. In the morning, the owner noticed that the interior light of the car was on and twenty dollars in change was missing.
Bike Thefts: A Trek bicycle, locked at the bike rack next to the Scarsdale train platform was stolen on June 11. The black bike, valued at $250 was missing, along with the chain.
A Specialized bike, valued at $400 was stolen from the rack at Depot Place on June 14th. The cable-style lock was cut and left at the rack.
An imposter called a woman at work at a Sherbrooke Road home on June 12 and claimed to be her grandson. He said he was in a car accident the previous night and was now in jail. He said his lawyer would call the woman and tell her where to send money to get him out of jail. Shortly thereafter the “attorney” called and told the woman to go to Walmart in White Plains, buy a money gram for $2,705 and send it to an address in Panama City. Upon receipt, he claimed that her grandson would be released from jail. The woman grew suspicious and called her grandson who said that he was not in an accident and he had not been arrested. She did not send any money to the callers.
Identity Thefts: On 6/11 a Continental Road man reported the receipt of multiple letters denying him credit cards for which he did not apply. Between 5/1 and 6/11 he got letters from Target, Barclaycard, TJX Rewards, Toys ’R Us, Mastercard and Victoria’s Secret where a $750 line of credit was opened in his name. Previously someone had withdrawn a large amount of money on his home line of credit. He is unsure how the imposters got his personal information and is following up with the credit reporting agencies.
A Saxon Woods Road man was also the victim of identity theft. He received a letter from the IRS in June, 2012 stating that he had failed to pay taxes on $4,868 earned at Madison Square Garden in 2011. However, since the man never worked at Madison Square Garden he believes that someone used his identity to get a job at the Garden and kept the money without paying any taxes on it.
A man with shopping cart was spotted walking on Mamaroneck Road at 5:30 pm on 6/13. Police stopped him and he identified himself as Jimmy Williams and said he was walking back to his residence in White Plains. At 9:20 that same night, police got another call about an abandoned shopping cart on Mamaroneck Road. Police again found William with the cart . He said he was still walking to White Plains.
A turtle was found on the front lawn of a Cayuga Road home at 6 pm on 6/13. Police moved the turtle to the stream behind the house.
Party Crashers: At 10:25 pm on June 15, Clarence Road parents called police to say that kids with alcohol had crashed her children’s party and refused to leave. When police arrived, the kids were in the process of leaving – but one had fallen and broken his nose. SVAC and the boy’s mother were called and he was taken to White Plains Hospital for treatment.
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, http://scarsdalesecurity.com/
Burglars Strike Colonial Road and More from the Scarsdale Police
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Burglary on Colonial Road: Thieves used a crow bar to pry open a kitchen door and get into a home on Colonial Road sometime between 6 am and 7:15 pm on 6/8. They also opened a Verizon phone panel, cut the wires and pulled the alarm keypad off the wall. Once inside, they heavily tossed the master bedroom, and made off with jewelry and a pillow case which they presumably used to cart off the stolen goods. The resident will provide police with a list of the missing items.
Police responded to a burglar alarm at Savona Restaurant in downtown Scarsdale at 1:29 am on June 5th. They found pry marks on the door to the restaurant but were unable to determine if these marks were made that night or were already there.
Thefts: A Taunton road woman reported that a pair of diamond stud earrings valued at $6,900 had disappeared from her home sometime between April 26 and May 1. Nothing else was missing from the house.
A Murray Hill Road woman reported the theft of her blackberry. She believes it was taken when she
wasattending Truck Day at Scarsdale Library on Tuesday May 5th. When she got a replacement phone she started to receive text messages from an unknown person. She received a report on the use of the stolen phone and found that someone had used it to send 84 text messages between 6/5 and 6/6. When she called the phone number of the “texter” she was told that the woman who has the phone has a mother who works as a nanny in Scarsdale.
A Meadow Road man reported that a 20-foot aluminum ladder valued at $150 was removed from his yard on 6/8.
Between 6/6 and 6/10 someone entered the storage unit belonging to a Chateaux Circle woman and stole her property and damaged the unit.
Identity Thefts: A Mamaroneck Road man reported that someone had used his identity to open an Amazon credit card account on February 1 and make $10,000 in purchases from Apple and Best Buy. He learned of the fraud when he got a call from Chase saying he was overdrawn on his account – though he doesn’t have a Chase credit card. The man was able to find the address that had been used for the card and lead detectives to the house.
On June 5th a man from Old Lyme Road reported that 13 fraudulent charges, totaling $3,000 had been made on his credit card between April 30th and May 10th.
A Webster Road man complained that an employee at the Shell Station on Scarsdale Avenue had failed to return his credit card after he purchased gas there on June 1. His card was subsequently used to purchase $269 worth of gas by someone at the station. He cancelled the card when he learned about the fraudulent charges.
Accident: At 8 pm on June 6, a Garden Road woman lost control of her 2012 Mercedes on Saxon Woods Road near Boulder Brook, and struck a tree trunk. The accident caused the car to turn over onto its roof. Inside the car with the driver were two 12 year-old children. The occupants were trapped in the car and required assistance to get out. Police did not report any injuries.
Vandalism: On Leatherstocking Lane an exterior lamp was damaged sometime on 6/6 or 6/7. The resident of the house did hear kids in the street on the night of 6/6 and saw a Jeep Wrangler Speed off. He also found beer cans in the street near his house.
On Gatehouse Road another mailbox was damaged overnight on 6/6 – 6/7. When the homeowner found it, it appeared that it had been struck and was leaning sideways.
At 9:30 pm on 6/8, a Fox Meadow Road woman heard the sound of glass shattering outside and found her exterior lamp broken as well.
On 6/9 a Brite Avenue man reported damage to two of his exterior lamps but believed it may have been caused by his landscaper.
Streaking? Police received a report that kids were streaking at Edgewood School at 6: 19 pm on 6/9 – however when police arrived, no streakers were to be found.
Arrests: This week, additional charges were filed against Fern Davis, age 44 of Mt. Vernon, the woman who was arrested for defrauding Chase Bank on 6/6. After an investigation, police learned that Davis had also entered the bank previously on May 24th at 12:50 pm and 1:30 pm and withdrawn $8,545 by falsely representing herself as another Chase customer.
Jospeh J. Pelligrin of New Paltz surrendered to police on June 10 in response to a bench warrant dating back to February, 2009. His dad paid the $200 bail and he was booked, released and given a June 27th court appearance date.
On the evening of 6/7 police got a call from a man who spotted a man holding a shotgun at the intersection of Hutchinson Avenue and Weaver Street. Police went to the scene and found the suspect who said he had an air rifle that he removed from the trunk of his car and took into the house. He apologized for causing the incident.
In response to a report that there was noise coming from 54 Sheldrake, which is under construction, police went to the address. There they found four raccoons making noise in a dumpster.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, http://scarsdalesecurity.com/
