Teen Assaults Woman on Bus, Neighbors Argue, and More from the Scarsdale Police

A Bee-line bus driver pulled over at Post and Olmstead roads and called police to stop a physical altercation occurring on his bus May 7. According to witnesses, David J. Saunders, 18, of New Rochelle, punched a 43-year-old woman in the face about 20 times after she accidentally bumped against him when the bus hit a bump in the road. Other passengers said they attempted to stop the altercation; however, they could only momentarily halt the assault. The woman was taken from the bus and driven to headquarters, where Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps checked her injuries. According to the police report, the woman's face was swollen from Saunders's blows, but she refused transport to the hospital for further evaluation. Saunders was arrested on charges of third-degree assault with the intent to cause physical harm. He told police he was sitting on the bus, when two women sat down next to him. He said one of them touched him and an argument ensued when he told her not to touch him. Police informed Saunders's legal guardian of his arrest. He said he lives with his legal guardian and she helps take care of him. While Saunders was at headquarters, Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps assisted him in taking prescribed medication for epilepsy. Saunders was released to his brother on $100 cash bail. He was ordered to answer charges at Scarsdale Village Justice Court on May 13.

Suspect accused of attempting to cash counterfeit check
On May 8, police arrested Shane Rahmell Chandler, 23, of Mt. Vernon, on charges of third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and third-degree unlawful possession of personal identification information. According to the police report, Chandler is accused of attempting to cash a counterfeit check for $749.50 at the Bank of America on Wilmot Road, on April 21. The check, made payable to Chandler, was written against a Bronxville woman's account. Police asked Chandler where he got the counterfeit check. He said he received it in the mail from an acquaintance named "Joshua Miller," as payment for a moving job that Chandler had done for Miller. He said he knew Miller "from around the neighborhood" but was unable to contact him because Miller's phone had been disconnected. Chandler was released on his own recognizance and ordered to answer charges at Scarsdale Village Justice Court May 20.

Death
Byung Ro, of Brookby Road, died at home May 9. He was 92.

Arrest
On May 8, police initiated a traffic stop on Post Road because a 2008 Ford expedition was speeding. Police discovered the driver – Jeffrey G. Jean, 43, of Brooklyn – had a revoked driver's license. A database check revealed seven suspensions, with four scoffs, on four different dates. Additionally, police discovered Jean's car was not equipped with an ignition interlock device, as required. As a result of the outstanding issues with Jean's license and his failure to comply with orders about the ignition interlock device, police arrested Jean on charges of second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle with three or more suspensions on three or more different dates, operation of a motor vehicle without an ignition interlock device, failure to produce a registration card and speeding. Saunders was released on $200 cash bail and ordered to appear in Scarsdale Village Justice Court on May 13.

Stolen
On May 5, a Bradley Road woman reported approximately $10,000 in cash and jewelry missing from her house. She did not know exactly when the items went missing, but she remembered wearing some of the jewelry on her anniversary April 21. Police are following up.

Unreturned rental car
On May 7, an Avis Rent-a-Car representative, from the branch operating out of the Shell gas station on Scarsdale Avenue, reported a customer had not yet returned a rental car due back April 8. The car, a 2014 Ford Fusion, had been rented for a one-day period April 7. According to the Avis representative, the customer did not return any calls in regard to the overdue rental. However, the customer answered patrol's call May 7. The customer said he was in Georgia and claimed his brother still had the car. He told police he would follow up with his brother and get back to them, but he never did.

Identity theft
On May 7, a Bradley Road woman learned that a suspicious woman walked into a Chase Bank branch in Darien, Connecticut, and attempted to withdraw $20,000 from the Bradley Road woman's savings account. The teller doubted the suspicious woman's identification documents and denied the transaction. The account was immediately closed, and the Bradley Road woman signed up for LifeLock, an identity theft monitoring service. The next day, the woman received a LifeLock alert that an unknown person opened a Best Buy account in her name and made a purchase for approximately $800 worth of merchandise.

Harassment
A Black Birch Lane woman and her son reported neighbors harassed them at their house May 9. According to the woman and her son, their neighbors knocked on their door and began cursing and screaming. The neighbors – a husband and wife – stated they were arguing over the woman's alleged habit of throwing dog feces onto their yard and car. The neighbor husband allegedly used profane slurs with the Black Birch Lane woman and threatened her son by inviting him to "hit me [the neighbor husband] first" and by stating he was "bigger" than the son. Police referred both families to the Westchester Mediation Center, and they collectively seemed receptive to the idea. The Black Birch Lane woman stated if mediation was not successful, she would pursue the matter through legal action.

Fight
An East Parkway bakery employee was standing outside the bakery when another employee's boyfriend drove by and shouted derogatory insults around 7:45 p.m., May 9. The employee implored the boyfriend to "keep moving," but the boyfriend stopped his truck, got out, shoved the employee and verbally threatened him. During the physical altercation, two female bakery employees got between the men to break up the fight. The boyfriend then got back in his truck and drove away. The employee told police the boyfriend might believe the employee is involved with the boyfriend's girlfriend. The employee's boss noticed the boyfriend watching the bakery later that day, around 9:30 p.m., and the employee decided to report the matter to police to prevent it from escalating.

Baseball
On May 5, an errant baseball from an organized game on Crossway field struck the hood of a passing car on Mamaroneck Road. The ball dented the hood. The man was advised to follow up with the recreation department.

Damaged paint
A Chateaux Circle man parked his 2013 red Toyota minivan in the Christie Place garage overnight May 9 and returned to find the van's roof splattered with plaster or a cement-like substance May 10. The van was parked beneath a cracked portion of the garage ceiling; however, it was not clear if this was the cause of the splattered substance. According to the police report, the ceiling did not appear to be leaking at the time police investigated the incident. Nor did police find evidence of additional splattering on other cars parked in the garage.

Loud
A caller reported an older, white man wearing a plaid shirt yelling while walking on Palmer Avenue May 5. The man said he was headed toward Westchester Reform Temple on Mamaroneck Avenue. He said he might have been talking loudly to himself, but he did not intend to annoy or alarm anyone. He declined medical attention.

Eviction
Two women appeared at a Harwood Court business to remove items belonging to their employer who was being evicted from the space May 5. Police advised the women they were not allowed to remove items during an eviction process. An eviction marshal was scheduled to remove all items from the former business space the next day. The women said they knew nothing about the eviction process and apologized for their actions.

Trash picker
Concerned callers reported a man in a blue van looking through residents' garbage cans on Lee Road around 1 p.m., May 6. Police conducted a traffic stop of the man's van and asked for the man's license, registration and insurance card. The license and registration were valid; however the insurance card was expired. Police noticed baby shoes hanging from the man's rearview mirror and cautioned him about the possible distraction caused by hanging objects. Police issued two summonses – one for the expired insurance card and one for obstruction of the driver's view by objects.

Thump in the night
A Reynal Crossing resident asked police to check his house after he heard a loud "thumping" around 10 p.m., May 7. Police checked the house and noticed a fallen folding chair inside a closet. They deduced this might have been the cause of the mysterious noise.

Cars and roadways
A fallen telephone wire, wrapped with yellow tape, was lying near the side of Nelson Road May 5. Police notified Verizon.
The parking enforcement officer noticed a 2011 BMW parked in Merchant's Lot with its ignition running May 7. The car's windows were slightly open, and no one was in the car. Police did not see any keys left inside the car. They noted the car had an automatic ignition button. The parking enforcement officer opened the car's door, closed the windows and turned off the ignition button. The officer attempted to lock the car but was unable to do so.
Police moved a piece of plastic to the side of Heathcote Road May 7.
A Secor Road woman complained she was having difficulty backing her car out of her driveway due to parked cars on the street May 8. Police noticed one legally parked car on the street, opposite the woman's driveway. It belonged to a person performing construction work on the house across the street. Patrol asked the driver of that car to park elsewhere on the street, as a courtesy to the resident. The person complied.
Police informed the highway department about a large pothole on Montrose Road May 8. The highway department advised it needed to close a portion of the road to prevent further collapse of the roadway.
A car stalled at Boulevard and Post Road May 8. Police stood by until the car was towed from the scene.
A caller reported multiple people feeding meters on Harwood Court May 9. Police issued one summons and marked the tires of two cars for follow-up.
A driver reported striking a pedestrian with her car's side view mirror on Scarsdale Avenue May 9. The driver said she and the pedestrian were each travelling and walking south when the minor accident occurred. The pedestrian had been walking in the roadway and told the driver, "It was my [the pedestrian's] fault." She refused medical attention and walked to a gray Honda, got in and drove away. The pedestrian was described as a blond woman, approximately 45 years old, wearing jeans and a purple sweater. The driver wanted to document the incident but did not want to file an official accident report.
Six car accidents were reported in the village this week.

Civil matter
On May 5, a Richbell Road woman told police her neighbor was cutting down trees, and she was concerned the homeowner might not have proper permits. Police spoke with the tree cutting contractor who said he had all permits in his possession and could show them to police if necessary. He said he had also spoken with someone in Village Hall about the work. Police advised both parties to direct any questions to Village Hall because the controversy was a civil matter.

Kids
At 4 p.m., May 10, a Colonial Road resident reported two teenage boys got out of a black Audi A4 and walked into the woods through a footpath leading from Colonial Road. Police followed the path and came across two boys smoking in a makeshift tree house. Patrol instructed the boys to leave the area, and the boys complied.

Village code
Police dispersed kids from Quaker Ridge School playground after dark May 8.
Neighbors complained about a Meadow Road resident revving the engine of his car at 12:45 a.m., May 9. The resident said he was just trying to get his car running. He apologized if it had been making too much noise.
A caller reported an abundance of empty beers cans in Willow Park and Scout Field, behind the Girl Scout House, on Wayside Lane, at 11 a.m., May 9. Police picked up the cans littering the playground and disposed of them in a trashcan. A note was made for police to conduct extra ridebys of the area.
Because of loud, unsupervised dogs moving freely in and out of a Hampton Road house, police issued the homeowner a summons for unnecessary noise caused by an animal May 9.
Police asked a Sycamore Road party host to lower the volume of party music after neighbors complained of noise at approximately 10:30 p.m., May 9.
Police asked a Brookline Road resident to lower the volume of her radio May 10.

Lost and found
Police found a license plate on Heathcote Road and returned it to its Birchall Drive owner May 4.
A Tunstall Road man found an iPhone in Davis Park and gave it to police May 7. Patrol tried to contact the owner, but the attempt was not successful.
A man found an Acterna Insignia laptop on the southbound lane of Post Road near Scarsdale High School May 10. Police did not find any obvious ownership information. They vouchered the computer at headquarters.
A resident lost her wallet at a Post Road gas station May 7. While the owner was reporting the incident to police, the driver of a flatbed truck pulled up to the owner's house and gave her the wallet. The driver said he found the wallet on Post Road and wanted to return it to its owner.

Fire
An odor of natural gas on Carstensen Road was traced to an open Con Edison construction site May 8. Con Edison was on the scene.
Firefighters evacuated workers from a Church Lane house due to elevated levels of carbon monoxide inside the house May 9. The carbon monoxide was caused by workers using a gas-powered saw to cut flooring in the basement. Firefighters ventilated the houses using fans.
A resident of a Popham Road apartment building reported an indoor natural gas odor May 9. Firefighters detected only normal cooking smells in and around the building.
An odor of smoke inside a Cushman Road house was caused by a burnt insect on a halogen fixture May 10.
This week firefighters responded to four false carbon monoxide alarms and 11 false alarms caused by device malfunction, construction dust and cooking smoke.

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