Police Report: Stonehouse Road Housefire, Counterfeit Money at Village Hall and Theft from SHS Locker Room

Counterfeit money: Village Hall reported receiving a counterfeit $100 bill from a business paying for services owed to the Village April 3. According to police, the total bill was for “a small amount,” and the incident is currently under investigation.”

House fire
On April 3, firefighters were dispatched to a house fire on Stonehouse Rd. Upon arrival, smoke was showing from the eaves of the structure, and firefighters stretched hose lines and made connections to nearby fire hydrants. Firefighters confirmed that all occupants were out of the structure and learned that there was a major renovation underway in the basement and on the main level. A basement fire was confirmed.

Firefighters repositioned the hose line and attacked the fire. Firefighters opened windows on the second level to assist with ventilation. The main body of fire was located following a search, and it was knocked down. An electric fan was positioned at the front door to ventilate the first and second levels. Firefighters operating in the basement started opening up walls and ceilings to ensure that no extension occurred to the floor above. The fire appeared to originate from a sauna located in the basement. Extensive efforts were made to overhaul that area to locate hidden pockets of fire.

Due to high heat encountered on the first and second levels, a handline was moved to the second floor to ensure that no fire spread occurred. Firefighters found smoldering doors, casing, and baseboard trim on those levels, but no fire spread beyond those components.

Scarsdale volunteer firefighters were enlisted to find and extinguish the smoldering items with hand tools and water cans. Smoke and heat were found to be trapped in the attic, accessed by drop-down stairs. One window was removed to allow for ventilation of that space. Con Edison Gas and Electric secured the utilities, and the water service was shut at the meter do to damage to the water lines in the kitchen.

A Scarsdale Building Dept. representative responded to evaluate the condition of the structure. The Scarsdale Cause and Origin team was requested. The homeowners were advised to contact their insurance company to initiate the remediation process. The Scarsdale Building Department determined that the home was not safe for occupancy and provided instructions to the homeowners. The Scarsdale Cause and Origin Team commenced an investigation. The home had been undergoing renovation to the basement, kitchen and adjacent rooms. The area of fire origin was determined to be a sauna room in the basement. The cause remains under investigation.

Stolen package
On April 3, packages were reported as stolen from a Drake Rd. porch.

Stolen gift cards
A Clarence Rd. student’s bookbag was rummaged through, and gifts cards totaling approximately $500 were stolen while the student was at sports practice April 4. The bag was in her locker at the time.

Identity theft
On April 3, a Benedict Rd. resident reported receiving letters in February, stating the accounts had been attempted to be opened in his name. These were fraudulent, and they were rejected. He checked his credit report and noticed personal information, including address and phone number, had been changed. A fraudulent charge of $200 also appeared on one account. He requested that his accounts be frozen.

Civil matters
On March 31, a Church Lane church employee reported that a man came to the church requesting vendor payment for a church event from Nov. 2024. She told him she need to access the Venmo account for the church to verify if payment had already been made or not. He said he would return later that day for payment. Police told the employee to call headquarters if the man returned, so police could explain to him the proper channels by which to request payment and argue his dispute, if necessary, through civil procedure. On April 2, the man returned to the church. It became clear that, while a Veno payment was initiated, the payment never went through. So, the employee presented the man with a check for payment.

On March 31, a Church Lane woman reported that her dog ingested rat poison placed at a nearby tennis club and had to be rushed to the animal emergency room for treatment. The club’s landscaper confirmed the presence of poison on the property. Police advised the woman it was a civil matter and advised to contact the club through email before proceeding further.

On April 2, a car service driver reported that he provided a ride from JFK airport to a woman’s South Church Lane address. She said she would send money through Zelle, but it was never received. The driver went back to the address, but the woman was not home – or did not answer. The driver wanted police to document the incident.

On April 2, a Drake Rd. homeowner and a contractor got into an argument, and the homeowner asked the contractor to leave.

A Swarthmore Rd. resident reported a dispute with a prospective rental tenant for one of her investment properties in Yonkers April 3. The dispute occurred when the resident took the property off the market and decided to continue renting to the previous tenant. The prospective tenant sent messages believing he was entitled to some sort of compensation because the property was first made available and then taken off the market. Police documented the matter.

Suspicious
A Heathcote Rd. business owner said two suspicious men came into the store separately on April 2, stayed for about five minutes and did not intend to buy anything. One was a man in his 20s with a beard and a black hoodie. The other was a man in his 30s with jeans and sneakers. The men were each asked to leave the store. Neither man committed a crime.

A black backpack was found on Penn Blvd., making a passerby nervous April 3. Police examined it. It contained empty cans. Police discarded it as trash.

Help
Police stood by while a bank technician repaired an ATM machine on Wilmot Rd. April 2.
A six-year-old girl was playing at a park on Brite Ave. when she wandered away from her grandfather. The mother called police. In the meantime, the girl was found. She had gone to a nearby friend’s house.

Mischief
Burnt paint cans and other debris were found on Heathcote Rd. school grounds April 4.

Road rage
A driver reported she was “brake checked” while driving behind a Mercedes Benz on East Parkway April 5. The passengers of the offending car also shouted at her out the windows. The incident did not escalate further.

Cars and roadways
On March 31, police called a tow for a car that needed to be jump started on Mamaroneck Rd.
Police placed loose manhole covers back in place on Popham Rd. March 31 and Cushman Rd. April 6.
Police found a 2018 Land Rover with scofflaw status for unpaid parking tickets parked in the Christie Place garage March 31. Police booted the car.
The highway department was notified about nails in the roadway on Harwood Court April 3 and a dead raccoon on Richbell Rd. April 6.
Verizon was notified about low-hanging wires that got pulled down by passing cars in the Village April 4.
Verizon was notified about low-hanging wires on Colvin Rd. April 4.
Three car accidents were officially reported in the Village this week.

Village code
Police informed a solar panel solicitor, on Nelson Rd., that he needed to have a permit on file to continue soliciting in the Village March 31.

On April 4, police dispersed kids playing basketball from Potter Rd. because their presence was impeding traffic.

On April 4, police dispersed noisy kids playing basketball on Boulevard after dark.

Neighbors complained of noise from live music at a Wayside Lane party, and police informed the party coordinator April 4.

Police issued summonses to landscapers using gas-powered leaf blowers on Murray Hill Rd. April 5.

Firefighters
Firefighters assisted at a car accident on the Hutchinson River Parkway March 31.

On April 3, firefighters tightened a loose valve in a gas connection in a Rural Drive house while standing by for Con Edison following evidence of a gas leak.

Firefighters assisted at a car accident on Cornell St. April 3.

Firefighters removed a bucket of muriatic acid from a Wildwood Rd. house after it was triggering false gas alarms April 4.

This report covering police and fire department activity from March 31 – April 6 has been compiled from official information.

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