Today's News

Details: Published: 28 September 2010; Created: 28 September 2010; Last Updated: 01 October 2010; Hits: 5963

Locked in at CVS: On Saturday night 9/25 the alarm went off at CVS on Popham Road at 10:20 pm. When Detective Matthew Miraglia of the Scarsdale Police went to investigate at 10:28 pm he found a customer who had been locked inside the store after closing. The customer, a Brite Avenue woman had been stuck inside the store since the 10 pm closing. She entered the store near closing time to make a quick purchase and when she returned to the register to make her purchase, the store was locked and empty. Police were able to locate store manager, Victor Dirona to let her out. The store declined to comment on the incident.

Accidents: On the night of 9/24 police received a 911 call saying that an elderly woman had fallen to the ground and was screaming for help on Brambach Road. Police found the injured woman, Junko Maruyama of White Plains, who told them that she had parked her 2010 Lexus on Brambach Road and attempted to get out of the car. While she was exiting the vehicle, it rolled back and knocked her over. As the car rolled, it ran over the 62 year-old women’s arm. Though she believed she had placed the gearshift in “park”, the police found it in “reverse.” Ms. Marujama was taken to the Westchester Medical Center for treatment.

A Scarsdale police car rear-ended a car driven by a Kew Gardens man at the intersection of Secor Road and Palmer Avenue at 4 pm on September 21. The officer driving the police car reported that the car malfunctioned and accelerated, though he had his foot on the brakes. No injuries occurred.

Flying Objects: An angry Scarsdale High School boy started a fight on the afternoon of September 21 when another boy could not give him a ride a home in his car. The disappointed boy pushed and shoved the driver and attempted to get into the front seat. When he could not get in, he kicked the passenger side window of the car and then picked up a rock and threw it at the car and damaged the passenger side door. The boy’s parents will handle the matter.

minipumpkin A small pumpkin was thrown through the garage window of a Barry Road home on the night of 9/25-9/26. The shattered glass fell on the resident’s car, which was parked inside the garage.

That same night, a Tunstall Road man heard a loud thud and screeching tires outside his home at 1:14 am. He went outside to find that someone had thrown a rock or a brick at the driver’s side window of his 2008 Lexus, which was parked in front of his home. The rock damaged the window and police were unable to locate the culprits.

Police received a complaint on the afternoon of 9/24 from some school children who said that as they were walking home from school a man got out of his red mustang and yelled at them. Police were able to locate the man and got a different story. His car had been struck by what he believed to be a rock thrown by a kid on the sidewalk. The driver did speak to the kids and one said that one of the students who had run off had thrown the rock.

Death: Daniel Sitomer, formerly of Colvin Road in Scarsdale died in Greenwich, CT on September 14 at 1 am of unknown causes. He is survived by his ex-wife and daughter, who currently reside in Scarsdale.

Mischief: On September 20, the head custodian of the Heathcote Elementary School reported that he found three fifth grade boys on the roof of the school. The boys had moved garbage cans and milk crates and they were brought to the Principal who notified their parents.

A new church sign posted at St. Pius was scratched and grooved and the molding was damaged over night on 9/22-9/23. The sign is valued at $4,000 and the damage was assessed at $250.00

A Forest Hills man parked his 2002 Lexus on Ridgecrest West while he attended a party on the afternoon of September 19. He subsequently found a swastika and a Jewish star scratched into the paint on the trunk of his car and he believes the damage was done while he was in Scarsdale.

A Kent Road woman found the words FEAR HSEEN written on a step of her walkway on the afternoon of September 22nd. Her house had also been egged in August.

Harassed: A Springdale Road man complained of harassment from a man who approached him in the Christie Place garage on two occasions. On July 19 the man touched him with the tip of his umbrella and said, “I am going to beat you up.” He then followed the victim to the train station while repeatedly attempting to trip him. The complainant had beeped at the man in the garage before the incident. Subsequently, on 9/20 he saw the man again, who stopped the complainant, tried to put his arm into his car and said, “Are you going to honk at me this time?”

An angry postal worker yelled at two employees of Scarsdale Village when they were conversing in their cars in the Village Hall Parking lot at 5 pm on September 22. The postal worker was in a hurry to cut through the lot in his vehicle and was blocked by the cars of the Village employees. When they didn’t move quickly enough, the postman got out of his car, and shouted and cursed at them in an aggressive manner.

A Madison Road woman called police shortly after midnight on 9/27 to intervene in a fight she was having with her 14 year-old daughter over a potential lip piercing. She asked the police for assistance in mediating the disagreement.

Threatening Passenger: While riding the Bee Line Bus north on the Post Road on September 20, Gary Graham of Mt. Vernon threatened to kill another passenger on the bus. Though he was speaking loudly, his comments were not directed at a specific person so he was asked to get off the bus and he complied.

Arrests: police stopped Dana Simmons of New Rochelle when he was speeding in a 2000 Nissan on the Heathcote Bypass on the morning of September 25. Police found that Mr. Simmons’ driver’s license was suspended and that there was an active warrant for his arrest in New Rochelle. He was arrested and transported to the Scarsdale Police station where the New Rochelle police picked him up.

Scarsdale Police stopped Natalia Gourari of Manhattan on the afternoon of September 22 when she was driving on the Post Road and using her cell phone. It turns out she has a suspended driver’s license so she was charged with operating a motor vehicle while talking on a cell phone and failure to exhibit a driver’s license. She is scheduled to appear in Scarsdale Court on 10/6.

Missing: A Claremont Road woman left the key to her 2009 Acura and her Blackberry Tour at the bottom of her driveway while she made a brief visit to her neighbor’s house on the afternoon of 9/24. When she returned, both the car key and phone were gone.

A Tompkins Road woman lost a solid gold ring last week and asks anyone who finds it to return it to the Scarsdale Police.

Identity Theft: A Seneca Road couple discovered that someone had obtained fraudulent checks that linked to their account at Wachovia Bank and cashed eight checks, totaling $14,078.77 during the month of August. All of the checks show an address of a branch of the bank that does not exist and include forged signatures. The bank is investigating the incident.

Unlawful Watering: A Fairview Road woman alerted police on September 23 that a neighbor was watering the lawn at an unauthorized time. Police approached the house and spoke to the housekeeper who was unsure of how to regulate the automatic sprinkler systems. Police were unable to reach the homeowners so no summons was issued.

coyote Residents continue to call police to report coyote sightings, despite the fact that police policy is to leave the animals alone unless they are injured or acting in a threatening manner. An article in the NY Times on September 27, says that coyotes are somewhat of a mystery, but experts believe they may actually be hybrids of both wolves and dogs. The article warns residents against feeding coyotes but also reveals that coyotes may help control the goose population as they feed on goose eggs. Here’s this week’s list of coyote sightings in Scarsdale:

On 9/20 at 5:30 pm at the intersection of Vernon Road and Wildwood Road
On 9/20at 5:45 pm on Weaver Street at Stratton Road
On 9/20 at 10 pm on Heathcote Road
On 9/20 at 10:07 pm at Secor Road and Reynal Crossing with a rodent in it’s mouth
On 9/21 at 1:30 pm on Aspen Road
On 9/21 at 3:48 pm in the driveway of a Secor Road home
On 9/21 at 6:11 pm on Black Birch Lane
On 9/22 at midnight on Cayuga Road
On 9/22 at 1:50 pm two coyotes were fighting in the backyard of a Magnolia Road home. Police found one of the coyotes that appeared to be injured and saw it run off into Saxon Woods Park.
On 9/22 at 3:08 pm on Corell Road
On 9/22 at 7:54 an injured coyote was reported on Corell Road.
On 9/24 at 9:30 am two calls were received about coyotes on Woods Lane and Madison Road
On 9/24 at 11:11 am at the Edgewood School
On 9/24 at 3:42 pm a coyote possibly eating a bird on Birchall Drive
On 9/24 at 4:10 pm at Brookby and Mamaroneck Roads
On 9/24 at 6:09 pm on Lincoln Road
On 9/25 at 5:18 pm, in the yard of a home on Graham Road
On 9/25 at 6:04 pm on the lawn of a Tyler Road home
On 9/26 at 2:26 pm on Secor Road at the Heathcote Bypass
On 9/26 at 3:45 pm – report of a wolf on Foxhall Road
On 9/26 at 5 pm at Canterbury and Cayuga Roads

Details: Published: 27 September 2010; Created: 27 September 2010; Last Updated: 27 September 2010; Hits: 5913

planas Customers got overheated at the Candlelight Inn on Central Avenue on Sunday night 9/25 when an argument broke out between two men. Diners reported that the fight began as a verbal exchange but escalated when the two men went out to the parking lot. Police were summoned and when they arrived they found a number of people standing in the parking lot and an injured man lying on the ground with a bleeding head.

Observers told police that one man, later identified as Benjamin Planas of Yonkers, struck the other in the back of the head with a push broom handle. The 44 year-old victim’s name was not released, however he was seriously injured and taken to White Plains hospital for treatment where he was found to have a skull fracture.

Benjamin Planas was charged with assault in the second degree and was arraigned in Greenburgh County Court before Judge Doris Friedman. He is being held at Westchester County Jail and is due back in court on Tuesday September 28.

Details: Published: 21 September 2010; Created: 21 September 2010; Last Updated: 21 September 2010; Hits: 7578

mountainbike What a Ride: a man came to Sierra Cycles on Garth Road at 4:45 pm on September 17th and asked to test ride a 2009 Ellsworth Moment Mountain Bike, valued at $5,400.00. He took it out and never returned to the store with the bike. Police searched for the rider but were unable to locate him.

Car theft: An unlocked car parked on Fairview Road on the night of 9/17-9/18 was entered and a GPS navigation device and four dollars in change were stolen.

Two copper leaders and additional scrap copper, valued at $3,500, were reported stolen from a construction site at 260 Mamaroneck Road on September 13.

Accidents: a silver Suburban sideswiped a New Rochelle woman who was riding her bike on the Heathcote Bypass on the afternoon of September 17. The rider was knocked to the ground and her left leg and arm were injured. The driver of the car did not stop and police found the shattered side view mirror of the car on the ground.

A Tuckahoe woman, driving north on Weaver Street at 4 pm on 9/18 lost control of her car and struck a tree on the shoulder. She was taken to Soundshore Hospital in New Rochelle for evaluation.

Arrest: Stephanie Salgado of White Plains was taken into custody by the White Plains police at 11:45 pm on 9/17 and turned over to Scarsdale Police where there was an outstanding warrant for her arrest. She was wanted for failing to appear in court on traffic charges. She was released on $150 cash bail and given a court appearance date for 9/22.

Disputes: On 9/13, the owner of the Citgo Station on Scarsdale Avenue had a dispute with a Brambach Road man who was unwilling to pay the full fee for the bodywork done on his car. The customer said that the car was not fixed properly. Police advised the two to resolve the issue themselves or call a lawyer.

On the afternoon of 9/13, the owner of the Golden Day Spa on Wilmot Road came to police to complain that she had paid a web designer $2500 to create a website for her new store. The designer did not complete the work. Police advised her to see a lawyer.

A divorced woman asked for a police escort to drop off her 11 year old girls at her ex-husbands house on Cooper Road on the morning of 9/19. The woman reported that her husband was agitated and aggressive and she wanted the police to accompany her to the exchange.

Road Rage: Ralph Williams came to the police to complain that an angry motorist had cut him off and thrown things at his car while he was driving on the Post Road on the afternoon of September 15. Williams had the license plate number of the offender, who police identified as Christina Fox of White Plains. They contacted her and she said that she cut Williams off unintentionally and did not throw anything at the car. She apologized for her actions.

On the afternoon of September 14 a Drake Road man complained that his neighbor’s gardeners are damaging his bushes and have been doing so for the past year and a half. Police contacted his neighbor who said he would address the problem but when police called to check, the Drake Road man had not heard from his neighbor.

Locked out: A Crossway Road mother locked herself out of the house and left an 11 month old child inside at 4 pm on 9/13. The Fire Department came to her aid and got into the house through an unlocked second floor window.

On the night of 9/19 a Bronx man locked himself out of his car that was running and parked on Hampton Road. Police call RD Towing who came by and unlocked the car.

Harassed: On September 14 a Lenox Place man reported receiving five to six hang-up calls from an unknown person for the past three weeks.

A 24 year-old Cooper Road woman who had just been released from a psychiatric unit fled the house on foot at 6:30 pm on 9/17. Her Dad called the police who found the woman who said that she was still not feeling well and asked to be transported back to the hospital.

A pick up lacrosse game, played on the high school football field was jeopardizing the safety of walkers on the trace at 5 pm on 9/18. Police asked the players to break it up.

A Brookfield Road man called police to report that there were many cars parked on his street, awaiting children who were being dismissed from the Middle School. Police arrived and asked the parents to move their cars.

The carbon monoxide detector went off at a Crossway Road home at 1:20 am on 9:19. Police asked everyone to leave the house. Though two adults in the house claimed that they did not feel well, when the fire department arrived, they failed to get a CO reading in the house.

Screams: A Meadow Road woman heard a scream and a crash at 5:30 am on September 20th. Police responses and found a pedestrian struck on the Hutchinson River Parkway near the Weaver Street exit. The county police handled the incident.

A Boulevard Road woman found a lost dog at Post Road near Oxford Road at 3:30 pm on 9/18 and brought the dog to police headquarters. The owner was called to come in and retrieve her dog.

Coyotes continue to roam our streets and yards. Here’s a list of the reports received by Scarsdale Police:

9/13 at 12 noon on the lawn of a Wildwood Road home
9/13 at 2 pm at 234 Mamaroneck Road
9/13 at 3:37 pm at 18 Dolma Road
9/14 at 7:50 pm at the intersection of Weaver and Crossway
9/14 at 9:12 pm at the corner of Boulevard and Nelson Road
9/15 at 7:19 am in the street at Old Lyme and Meadow Road
9/15 at 8 pm at the intersection of Hampton and Olmstead Roads
9/16 at 11:53 am at Post and Farley Roads
9/16 at 2:48 pm in the yard of a Rock Creek Lane home
9/17 at 9:30 pm on Leatherstocking Lane
9/18 at 12 noon at the Heathcote School
9/18 at 12:34 at Ramsey and Secor Roads
9/18 at 1:46 pm on Deerfield Lane
9/18 at 2:33 pm at Carthage and Lincoln Roads
9/18 at 3:23 pm in the garage of a house on Deerfield Road
9/18 at 4:16 pm on the Fenway Golf Course off Secor Road
9/18 at 5:30 pm on Stratton Road
9/19 at 7:55 am at Mamaroneck and Secor Roads
9/19 at 4:30 pm at Rock Creek Lane and Sycamore Road
9/19 at 6:00 pm at the Heathcote Elementary School
9/20 at 7:20 am at 400 Mamaroneck Road
9/20 at 8:25 am on Burgess Road

Police Report Greenburgh

Gunshots: At 9:30 pm on September 18 a Jane Street man reported that he had been hearing a dog barking in the distance for an hour or so, and then heard a noise that sounded like gunshots. The sound came from the area of Webb Field. Police searched the area but were unable to find the source of the noise.

Busted: A speeding car was stopped on Mt. Joy Avenue in Edgemont on September 17 at 10:30 pm. When police spoke to the driver they noticed the smell of marijuana and when questioned, the driver gave the police a bag of pot. The driver, Steven J. Pirrotta age 24 of Yonkers was booked, released and told to appear in court on September 24th.

Shoplifters: Keith Mulligan, age 37 of Nyack was arrested on the afternoon of September 17 for stealing two leather jackets from Marshalls on Central Avenue. After he took the jackets he fled in a gray Saturn but was stopped by police and found to have the jackets and burglar tools in his possession. He was booked and arraigned.

In addition, Desiree Moor age 23 of Yonkers was also arrested for shoplifting on the night of September 16 at 9:30 pm when she took pink rain boots, a comforter and baby products, all valued at $189.94 and left the store without paying. She was booked, released and told to return to court.

Theft at Harmon: Bonnie Marie Richardson age 17 of Yonkers was arrested for stealing $63.47 from the register while she was working as a cashier at Harmon Discount during the month of August.

Suspicious Incident: On the morning of September 16 the manager of Radio Shack on Central Avenue reported that two men came into the store and purchased a play station. They paid with a credit card. They went out to the store and then returned and asked to purchase three cell phones. The store employee asked the customers to provide id to verify the name on the credit card and they refused. The manager then asked the men to return the play station which they did and then fled the store.

Missing: On September 15, a Ferndale Road woman reported that $6,000 in jewelry and a Dell computer were missing from her home. The items had disappeared sometime between July and September 15.

Details: Published: 22 September 2010; Created: 22 September 2010; Last Updated: 22 September 2010; Hits: 4013

suzicampaign On Sunday, September 19, Senator Suzi Oppenheimer kicked off her campaign for re-election with local supporters at her new campaign headquarters at 916 East Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck.

“This is a very important election,” said Senator Oppenheimer. “Voters are looking to build on the momentum of everything we’ve accomplished in the past two years. As Chair of the Senate Education Committee, I was chief sponsor of arguably the most important law to pass Albany this year—the 2010 Education Reform Law, which paved the way for New York State to earn $700 million in Race to the Top Funds. We also passed ‘Smart Growth’ legislation to protect our environment and property tax relief through local government cost-cutting. Yet there is still so much more we need to get done, including implementing a permanent state-level solution to Westchester’s property tax burden, and reforming state government by creating an independent redistricting commission and adopting strict campaign finance limits.”

Elected officials on hand included U.S. Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Assemblymember George Latimer and Bill Hanauer, Mayor of the Village of Ossining.

Senator Oppenheimer represents the 37th Senate District, which includes the Cities of New Rochelle, Rye, and White Plains, and the Towns of Harrison, Mamaroneck, New Castle, North Castle, Ossining, Rye, and Scarsdale. In the November election she will be challenged by Robert Cohen of Scarsdale who is running for the seat on the Republican and Independent party lines.

To learn more about Suzi and her campaign, please visit: www.Suzi4NY.com

Details: Published: 14 September 2010; Created: 14 September 2010; Last Updated: 14 September 2010; Hits: 3980

greenburghpolice On Friday afternoon September 10, Greenburgh police received a call from a resident on Clarendon Road reporting a suspicious male in her backyard. This male was observed entering a light blue mini van that was parked on Clarendon Road being driven by a woman.

The van left before the officers arrived. Police checked other homes in the area and found the rear door open at another house on Clarendon Road. The inside of the house was ransacked and jewelry had been stolen. The homeowners were not home at the time of the burglary.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male wearing a green baseball cap, white T-Shirt with red lettering and green cargo shorts. The female was described as having tan skin color wearing a green sweater and straw hat.

If anyone has information on this burglary, please notify the Greenburgh Police Detective Division at 914-682-5392

In other news from the Greenburgh Police:

Assault: Police were called to the parking lot of 855 South Central Avenue at 12:30 am on 9/7 on a report of a man assaulting a woman. Police found Ambar Javier, age 21 of the Bronx shaken and cut on the nose. She told police that her boyfriend got angry with her because she was on her cell phone. He dragged her by her hair, threw her to the ground and then bit her nose. Though he had driven away in a Gray Nissan Sentra, he reappeared while police were interviewing Ms. Javier. When he saw the police he tried to get away, but the police stopped the car and found that the assailant, David Rudd, age 20 of Warburton Avenue in Hastings was drunk. Rudd was arrested and taken to headquarters where he was booked for assault, and driving while intoxicated.

Thefts: A 2009 White Yamaha motorcycle was stolen from the Men’s Warehouse parking lot on Central Avenue on the afternoon of September 7 when the owner was inside shopping.

Residents of Warnke Lane, Scarsdale reported that over $30,000 in jewelry, flatware and cash was missing from their home. The items disappeared sometime between August 1 and September 7. There was no forced entry into the house and residents suspect that friends of their son may be involved.

On Sheridan Road in Scarsdale, residents also reported the theft of about $7,000 worth of jewelry that they had left under the mattress of the their bed when they went away for a few days at the end of July. When they returned they were unable to find the jewelry. The couple wanted a report for their insurance company.

Building materials, valued at $2,800 were taken from a house under construction at 100 Old Army Road during the night of 9/9-9/10. The materials were valued at $2,800.00

Strike: Police were called to Woodlands High School at 6:40 am on September 13, where striking bus drivers had blocked the exit to the school. Police spoke to the drivers, told them how to protest and asked them to move the buses, which they did.

Feud: Neighbors continued to feud on Elizabeth Street in Scarsdale this week. Audrey Pierot called police to complain that her neighbor Michael Marom was using a large excavator on Saturday. However, rock chipping is limited to Monday –Friday.