Today's News

Details: Published: 30 December 2011; Created: 30 December 2011; Last Updated: 30 December 2011; Hits: 8424

covlin A Manhattan man was served papers in Scarsdale on Wednesday in the wrongful death of his wife. Roderick Covlin is a former stock trader and founder of the U.S. Backgammon Federation. He was in his parent's Scarsdale home when the Manhattan public administrator served him with civil suit accusing him of killing his wife Shele Danishefsky Covlin. According to Your Jewish News, the suit charges Covlin with “intentionally, deliberately, willfully, wantonly, maliciously, brutally and without provocation or just cause [strangling, choking, striking, injuring, assaulting, abusing, beating and murdering] his wife.”

Two years ago, on New Year's Eve, Shele Covlin was found dead in the bathtub of her Upper West Side apartment. She was discovered by her 9 nine-year-old daughter.

Covlin had a cut on her head and appeared to have fallen while bathing.

Shele Danishefsky Covlin's death was initially ruled an accident and in keeping with religious tradition, her Orthodox Jewish family refused an autopsy and buried her almost immediately.

But questions quickly arose after her death.

The 47-year-old UBS wealth manager was in the middle of a difficult divorce from her husband Rod Covlin, who lived across the hall of the 68th Street apartment at the time.

That past November, Shele had obtained an order of protection against Rod, and according to an investigation she had expressed to friends that she was fearful of her husband. The night Shele Covlin died, she was just hours away from her January 1 meeting with an estate planner in order to cut Roderick out of her will, worth over $1 million dollars and leave her money to her two children.

Roderick Covlin immediately retained an attorney and was not cooperative with the police.

The District Attorney took up the matter and persuaded the Danishefsky family to exhume her body. Upon examination, there were signs of struggle and strangulation. However, since she had not been embalmed and was in a plain pine coffin there was exposure to the elements. It remains to be seen if this will have any effect on evidence such as DNA.

When contacted, the Manhattan District Attorney's office told me that they cannot comment on active investigations or even confirm or deny them.

Still, sources I spoke to close to the case, who wish not to be identified, say that there may be updates or even charges brought in the new year.

It's fairly unusual that the public administrator would get involved in such a case, however there is a two-year statute of limitations in wrongful-death claims. This suit aims to block Roderick from his wife's assets.

On Thursday December 29 the Daily News reported that a Westchester judge has denied Covlin access to a $1.6 miilion life insurance payment after learning that he is a suspect in his wife’s murder. According to the Daily News, nearly $4 million is at stake.

Shele's brother Philip Danishefsky is seeking custody of her children who are now ages 11 and 5.

Details: Published: 22 December 2011; Created: 22 December 2011; Last Updated: 23 December 2011; Hits: 5174

scanner After a spate of robberies in Edgemont this fall, a group of residents called for a meeting with Greenburgh Police Chief Joseph DeCarlo to urge the department to do more to protect their homes. Some say they are now in the third year of a spree of Edgemont robberies and are asking for some permanent solutions. Here is what they learned at the December 15th meeting:

The robberies have occurred primarily in homes with easy access to the Sprain Brook Parkway, Jackson Avenue and Ardsley Road. The targeted homes belong primarily to people of Asian and Indian descent. However, the residents of the site of the latest robbery in Thomas Court were not of this background.

Typically, the burglars break through the back door and are in and out of the homes in 10 minutes. It is likely that the robbers have stalked the homes for a few days and know when the homeowner comes and goes. The police department says that the robbers are Columbian gangs from Queens as well as from other neighboring areas. This is not just a problem here as the gangs are operating all along the East Coast.

Edgemont residents asked the police to install license plate scanners that were requested earlier this year. In the interim the DA’s office loaned Edgemont three scanners, which have been in use for the past two weeks. Following the meeting, on December 20, the Greenburgh Town Board approved $69,000 for the purchase of license plate readers which will be used in addition to the license plate readers given to the town by the DA's office.

The Town urged residents to write letters or email elected state officials Tom Abinanti and Andrea Steward-Cousins to request permission for the Town of Greenburgh to install security cameras at key roadways. They can be reached at [email protected] and at [email protected]. The Southern Greenville Civic Association will send out a letter to both officials before the end of the year on this topic.

Residents also questioned whether they were getting their fare share of police resources. Edgemont contributed $4.1 million to the 2011-12 Greenburgh Police Department budget, roughly a quarter of the total budget, but contend that they are not receiving a commensurate amount of coverage. DeCarlo acknowledged that the robberies are an issue and promised to review resource allocation with the Town Board and Supervisor Feiner.

The Greenburgh Police Department provided the following tips on keeping homes secure:

If you don’t have an alarm system, get one and use it.
Put motion sensor lights covering dark areas around the back of the house.
If you can, invest in a surveillance camera system.
Lock all access to your homes
Leave lights, radios and televisions on timers when your are away.
Do not a store a lot of jewelry at home. Instead, use a bank safety deposit box. If you do keep jewelry at home, do not store it in an obvious place. Burglars know where to look.
When you’re away, turn off mail and newspaper delivery. Ensure that someone clears your driveway of snow.
Let your neighbors know you are out of town. Look out for your neighbors.
Set up a neighborhood watch or join an existing one.
Be aware of your surroundings even when driving around.
If you see a suspicious car, note the make, model and license plate.
Call GPD at 914-682-5300 if you suspect any strange activity. Always call, even if you are unsure.

Details: Published: 20 December 2011; Created: 20 December 2011; Last Updated: 20 December 2011; Hits: 8196

icecreamcone Thefts: Sometime between 11:15 am and 9:05 pm on December 14 $17,683 in cash was stolen from a basement office of Last Licks on Palmer Avenue. The money was in an envelope in a drawer in the office. The office was locked during the time of the theft, however two other doors to the building may have been left open during the day. Employees from Metro and Last Licks have access to the basement. Pry marks were found on the door to the office.

Another commuter’s bike was stolen from the Scarsdale Train Station. The gold univega, 21-speed bike, valued at $450, was locked to a rack on Depot Place on the morning of December 12th. When the owner returned that night, both the bike and lock were gone.

A Popham Road woman reported that an aluminum air conditioner cover and a glass shower door were stolen from her property sometime between December 7 and December 12. The items were propped against her house to prevent rain from falling into her basement. Nothing else was taken from the home.

Lost and Found: A gas grill was taken from a Lebanon Road home when the family moved out on 12/14. When the owner returned on 12/15, the Lynx grill, valued at $4,000 was missing. During the move, one of the moving men was questioning the owner about the value of certain items in the house and the owner suspected that the moving man may have returned to the house after the move and taken the grill. However, the homeowner later learned that a friend had stopped by to pick up a patio table and had also removed the grill.

A Circle Road woman called police to say that her wallet was either lost or stolen in Scarsdale Village on December 14th. She must have been pleased to learn that a good Samaritan found it in front of the Scarsdale Flower Shop and turned it over to the police.

Harassed: A Copper Beach Lane man reported harassment from a former business partner that occurred between November 21, and December 14. The Scarsdale man received harassing text messages threatening that the former partner would come to the house, hurt him, and snap his neck. Police agreed to extra ride-bys and to call the former partner to order him to stop the harassment.

A Colonial Road man was threatened by a former employee who said he had not received his paycheck. Though the Scarsdale man said the check had been mailed, the employee was threatening to come to the house. Patrol spoke to the angry man and resolved the dispute.

Fraud: Police were called to HSBC Bank on Popham Road on the afternoon of 12/15 when a man attempted to cash a fraudulent check made out to cash in the amount of $2,205.77. When asked for id, the man presented a fake Pennsylvania driver’s license and Visa bank card. While the bank manager was examining the check, the man left the bank and walked onto East Parkway. Police were unable to find him but placed the check, driver’s license and bank card into an evidence locker.

On the morning of 12/18, a Taunton Road man came to police to report that someone tried to open a line of credit at Citibank using his name and social security number. He had been contacted by the Citibank Fraud Department.

Accidents: At 5:57 am on December 18, a Penn Road man swerved to avoid a deer in the road, brushed a utility pole and crossed onto the lawn of 46 Franklin Road where he struck the curbing of the driveway and then crashed into a stonewall at 44 Franklin Road. The car flipped over and stopped, upside down on the front lawn of 44 Franklin. SVAC, the Fire Department and the police responded to the scene. The condition of the 60 year-old driver was not reported.

A Roosevelt Place woman heard a loud noise outside her house at 10 pm on 12/18. She looked out of her window and saw that a black car had driven down her street in the wrong direction, hit her car and was driving away. The accident damaged the bumper of her 2012 Volkswagon. Police searched the area and found the black car parked just a few blocks away.

Mischief: There was damage to a light at the Girl Scout House on Wayside Lane sometime on 12/17. Also on that date, someone tried to pull out a street sign at Wayside and Carstensen Roads and removed the Wayside Lane portion of the sign. A “No Parking” sign was found in the parking lot of the Alternative School and police did not know where it belonged.

A house on Birchall Drive was egged at 4:30 pm on 12/16. Kids wearing hoodies threw eggs at the side of the house and ran off.

Disputes: A Brookline Road man called police on December 13 when an unwanted houseguest refused to leave. When police arrived the men came to an agreement.

On 12/14, Heathcote Road residents called police to complain that their neighbor’s driveway was strewn with garbage. Police went to the neighboring home and the woman explained that her insurance company had instructed her to leave her damaged property in place so that they could assess it. However, the insurance company had completed the assessment so the woman agreed to call the sanitation department to ask for a pick up.

Missing: A New Rochelle woman came to Scarsdale Police headquarters on the morning of 12/14 to report that her husband was missing. His car was parked at a house that he owns, but does not live in, on Fenimore Road. Police advised the woman to report him to the New Rochelle Police.

Flooded: On 12/15, a North Salem woman came to Scarsdale Police when she noticed that her deceased parent’s home at 16 Cambridge Road was being damaged by water run off coming from construction at 7 Park Road. Police advised her that this is a civil matter and told her to contact the building department.

Trespasser: Police were called to the Greenacres School at 3:19 on 12/16 when an elderly man entered the school and requested to use the bathroom. He subsequently left the school and police found him on the Post Road. The man said he had been doing landscaping work in the area and wanted to use the bathroom and get a drink of water. The Greenacres Principal reported that the man seemed odd.

Details: Published: 14 December 2011; Created: 14 December 2011; Last Updated: 17 August 2017; Hits: 4945

headinparksign There was good news for aggravated commuters at the Scarsdale Village Board meeting on Tuesday night December 13th. Mayor Flisser opened the meeting by announcing that the Village will not enforce a new “head-in” parking regulation that requires drivers to park nose-in at the Freightway Garage. Many now back their cars into spots in the morning to ease their exit at night. When the Village changed the policy, some residents were furious. For now, the Village Manager will monitor traffic flow and will not issue any tickets for backing into a parking spot.

Several residents came to the mike to commend the Mayor, Village Board and Trustees for listening to commuter’s concerns and doing a quick turnaround on their policy. Among those who commented were Josh Frankel and Kevin Goldman.

The Mayor also announced that the Village will recommend that residents utilize onsite leaf mulching, whereby leaves are mowed into the lawn and end up as mulch. Next fall, the Village will experiment with shredding leaves in Chase and De Lima Parks and will undertake an education program to encourage residents and landscapers to reduce the cost of leaf pick-up by using leaves to mulch lawns instead of blowing them to the curb and carting them away. A resolution was passed at the meeting to encourage mulching in place.

Trustee Mark reported on a meeting of the West Quaker Ridge and the Middle Heathcote Murray Hill Neighborhood Associations held at the Crossway Firehouse where residents called for a revision of the Village code provisions on home generators. After several recent storms knocked out power for long stretches of time, many residents would like to install back-up generators to power their homes when the power goes out. In response to resident requests, Mark said the Village Trustees will call a meeting of the Law Committee to review the code.

Other agenda items included:

Approval of an updated Freshwater Wetlands Map and zoning code amendments to strengthen the Village’s ability to protect and enhance local freshwater wetlands.

Approval of a special use permit to allow a new clothing store, MAG Tricote, to open in Christie Place in the space now occupied by the Christie Place sales office.

Approval of an application by the Chabad Lubavitch Organization of Westchester to place a menorah in Chase Park from December 20 -28.

Opening on Committee for Historic Preservation: The Village Board is currently seeking applicants to fill an opening on the Committee for Historic Preservation. If you wish to apply, visit the Village Website to complete an application here:

Here is a description of the position: The Building Inspector advises the Committee for Historic Preservation regarding each application filed with the Building Department for a permit to demolish all or any substantial part of any building in the Village. The Committee for Historic Preservation meets to decide whether the building in question appears to be one of significant historical impact. Based on their determination, they may advise the Building Inspector as to whether or not it is required that the home owner make an application to the Board of Architectural Review for a Certificate of Appropriateness to determine if a demolition permit application should be granted. If the Committee for Historic Preservation approves a demolition permit, they may impose certain conditions. Members of the Committee for Historic Preservation are appointed to serve three-year terms. The Chair of the Committee for Historic Preservation is appointed to a one-year term.

Details: Published: 11 December 2011; Created: 11 December 2011; Last Updated: 12 December 2011; Hits: 5268

greenburghtownhall Burglars continue to prey on Edgemont homes where there were two more incidents on December 1st and December 7th. On 12/1, there was an attempted burglary on Sprain Valley Road at 6:30 pm. At the time, the home was unlit and unoccupied. Intruders tried to get in through a sliding glass door at the back of the house but they activated the alarm and never got into the house. Several Greenburgh Police cars were in the area and were able to obtain leads. The homeowners are of Indian descent.

On December 7th, also at 6:30 pm, burglars did get into a house on Thomas Street, behind California Pizza Kitchen. The homeowner went out at 6:30 pm and discovered the burglary when they returned at 10:00 pm. They found a closet in the master bedroom ransacked. Thieves made off with jewelry and watches but left costume jewelry behind. Police believe the suspects were wearing gloves and entered the house through a large “doggie door” in the back door.

Edgemont residents will meet with the police on Thursday night December 15 and are asking for a long term plan to enhance coverage of the area. In response to residents’ questions, Greenbugh Police Chief Joseph DeCarlo wrote a letter to the Edgemont Community Council, dated December 8 noting the following:

Since October 1st there have been 7 residential burglaries in Edgemont bringing the total for 2011 to 12 burglaries.
In 2010 there were 15 burglaires and in 2009 there were 11
Many of these incidents occurred in the early evening hours at homes that were dark with no lights on.
In several of the burglaries, entry was made through an unlocked door. In other cases rear sliding doors have been broken to gain access. In some instances alarms were activated and the perpetrators still continued to enter the home.
All the burglaries have been on the west side of Central Avenue, probably due to larger properties which hide the suspect from the street and other neighbors.
Burglaries have been prevalent in other areas of the town and many other communities in the County and the Greenburgh Police have been working with other jurisdictions and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Information Center and the Westchester County Police Crime Analysis Unit.
The department is devoting the full amount of resources it believes are necessary to address this matter including the allocation of on-duty personnel and the use of overtime resources.

Here's what you can do to improve the safety of your home:

• Always close and lock doors and windows when you leave your home, even if only for a few minutes.

• If you have an alarm, use it.

• When you are away during the evening hours, put lights and a radio or television on a timer or on multiple timers.

• Install a flood or spotlight that works on a motion sensor and which will illuminate back entrances to your home when triggered.

• Stop mail and newspapers from being delivered while you are away or have a neighbor pick them up daily for you.

• Undisturbed snow on a driveway or walk is an indicator that no one is at home. Have a neighbor use his car to make tire tracks in the snow on your driveway and put footprints in the snow on the walk or better still, arrange for a neighborhood youth to clear it for you.

• Report anything suspicious you see to the police. You are in the best position to know what looks out of place in your neighborhood. Some excellent leads have been provided by observant citizens. Report what you see using our general business number 682-5300. Of course, if you believe a crime is in progress or about to occur, dial 911. Your assistance can be instrumental in the apprehension of the person(s) responsible for these crimes.

• We believe that suspects will first attempt to determine if anyone is home by first knocking on the resident’s door. If you are home and anyone does come to your door and their reason sounds bogus do not hesitate to contact the police. Attempt to observe if a vehicle is being operated, the model and color.

Residents who would like information on how to make their homes more secure or be involved in a neighborhood watch program should contact Police Officer Peter Dandreano of our Crime Prevention Unit at 682-5334 or [email protected].