Police Report: Arrested! Police Catch Burglars Fleeing Drake Road Home

On Feb. 14, police caught and arrested three suspects who were fleeing from an interrupted Drake Road burglary. These suspects were: Orgen Hoxha, 21, from New York City; Armand Selmani, 23, from Clifton, New Jersey; and Gramos Muhaxheri, 22, of the Bronx.

Police initially responded to a Drake Road house for a burglar alarm activation coming from the basement door. Two squad cars and an unmarked car, serving on a taskforce unit, arrived on scene. Police officers established a perimeter while an officer and a detective conducted an interior check of the house. One of the glass panels on the basement door had been broken, and the basement door was ajar. Small shards of glass and part of the wooden frame to the window panel were observed on the floor inside the house. Additional small glass shards were observed on the staircase leading from the basement to the first floor of the residence.

A thorough search of the interior did not yield any obvious signs of criminality on the first- or second-floors. There were no obvious signs that the bedrooms had been entered. While police were on scene, a neighbor approached and provided patrol with information about the homeowner. The basement door appears to have been both the point of entry and exit. Detectives collected some of the small glass shards.

While the investigation was ongoing at the house, a taskforce unit stopped the suspects' car on Wilmot and Baraud roads. Investigation identified the men as suspects, and they were taken into custody. Hoxha, Selmani and Muhaxheri were each charged with second-degree burglary and fourth-degree criminal mischief for acting in concert with one another to burglarize the Drake Road house.

Assault arrest
On Feb. 18, police arrested Wabo M. Ntwaagae, 23, of Scarsdale, on charges of third-degree assault, after Ntwaagae allegedly slammed his mother's finger in a door during an argument over $80. The act caused a laceration of his mother's finger, extreme pain and partial detachment of her fingernail. Ntwaagae's parents called police to their house at approximately 1:10 a.m., after the incident occurred. Once inside the house, police were asked to help search for Ntwaagae inside the house. His parents were unsure of his whereabouts but thought he was most likely inside his locked second-floor room. While outside the door, police heard music turn on inside the room, indicating Ntwaagae was, in fact, there. Ntwaagae's parents advised police they were fearful of their safety and wanted their son arrested. Patrol spoke to Ntwaagae through the door and advised him to open it. Ntwaagae's gave police explicit permission to force open the door and agreed to pay fr any damage to the door. Police advised Ntwaagae that the door would be forced open if he did not open it on his own accord. Ntwaagae did not open the door, and police used a tool to force it open. Ntwaagae was seen standing near his bed in his room. He was placed in handcuffs, escorted to the police car and arrested. The district attorney's office was consulted and bail was set at $500 cash or $1,000 bond, with the condition of the surrender of Ntwaagae's passport from Botswana. Since Ntwaagae did not have the means to post bail, and since his parents refused to post bail, Ntwaagae was taken to Westchester County Jail to await trial on Feb. 22.

Stolen package
On Feb. 13, a Brewster Road woman reported a package was stolen from her doorstep Feb. 6. The package contained wallpaper, rug and bedding samples valued at $89. The woman said she waited to report the package as stolen because she though one of her neighbors might have picked it up for her, but this was not the case.

Identity theft
A Brown Road resident reported someone attempted to open a small business account with Bank of America in her name Feb. 13. The attempt was fraudulent. The woman suffered no financial loss.
On Feb. 15, a Dolma Road woman received a bill for $300 in charges made on a newly opened fraudulent Target credit card account. The purchases were made in a store in Paramus, New Jersey on Jan. 11. There was a spelling error in the woman's last name, as listed on the account. The woman notified Target's fraud department. They are following up.

On Feb. 17, a Brambach Road woman reported a check she wrote for $325 to pay school fees was intercepted after mailing and cashed by an unknown party. The check was mailed from a postal box in either White Plains or Elmsford on Jan. 14.

On Feb. 19, a Lockwood Road man reported two fraudulent charges totaling $360.52 were made to his Capital One card on Jan. 20. The charges were made to purchase weight loss supplements, which were shipped to an unknown party. Capital One's fraud department is following up.

Hot stove
A Greenacres Avenue woman asked police to assist her in turning off the oven in her kitchen Feb. 15. The woman advised she had turned the oven off but was concerned because it was still producing heat. Patrol observed the oven control knob to be in the "off" position. The heat coming from oven appeared to be residual warmth radiating from the appliance because it had previously been on. The woman explained she does not normally do a lot of cooking and was unfamiliar with the functions of her oven's electric touch panel. Patrol suggested she could follow up was a handyman to ensure the oven was functioning properly.

Martial arts
An older male, approximately 60-70 years old, was observed practicing martial arts while holding a sword in the parking lot of Scarsdale public library Feb. 16. Library employees confirmed the man was a regular at the library. The sword was confirmed to be a toy made of plastic. Nevertheless, the man was advised to practice martial house with the sword at home – not in public – because it was causing public concern. There was a language barrier, but the man appeared to understand patrol's advice.

Tipped furniture
A Tory Lane woman reported patio furniture had been tipped over outside her house Feb. 18. There was no sign of criminality on the patio or around the house. The furniture was very lightweight, and patrol deduced it must have blown over during recent heavy winds.

Ride home
An elderly woman because disoriented on Rodney Road, and police provided her with a ride home Feb. 19.

Elevator
An elevator malfunctioned and was put out of service at the Scarsdale Train Station Feb. 19. Proper personnel were notified for repair.

Suspicious
While conducting burglary patrol at 2:30 a.m., Feb. 14, police saw a man standing outside on Hutchinson Avenue. Patrol questioned the man. He said he was painting a family member's house and walking to a cousin's house on the street. He provided patrol with the correct name and address of the cousin. Everything appeared to be in good order.

Patrol noticed a wide-open front door and all lights on at an Eastwoods Lane house at 11:30 p.m., Feb. 14. The homeowner reported leaving his front door open while taking out the garbage. Everything was in good order.

A man dressed in black was seen walking down Post Road, near Olmsted Road, at 3:30 a.m., Feb. 17. The man said he was walking to the mall from Mount Vernon. However, according to police, the man was "very vague on what exactly his purpose was for being in the area." He left the area without incident.

Keys were observed sticking out of the front door lock of a Webster Road house Feb. 18. The homeowner said everything was in good order. He was at the house to perform miscellaneous work and had left the keys there.

Harassment
A Graham Road woman reported employees from a moving company have been harassing her about paying them additional money since Jan. 15. The company recently moved belongings from a storage facility in Yonkers to one closer to her house on Long Island. She received a bill and paid it in full, but she has also received numerous texts and phone calls from the company demanding more money. Two movers even came to her workplace and were wandering around looking for her. Security removed them from her workplace. Recently, the woman found a loose invoice in her mailbox, which made her feel concerned that the movers came to her house in person. Police advised the woman to call them if the men return.

Fallen tree, pole and accidents
A Village tree fell on a 2010 Mercedes parked in a Hampton Road driveway. It took down electrical wires in the process. Due to live power line blocking the road, police and firefighters closed the area until Con Edison could address the fallen lines. Once the power lines were cleared, damage to the Hampton Road house could be assessed. The falling tree broke through a second-floor bedroom window, damaged part of a gutter and crushed the family's basketball hoop. Con Edison and the highway department were working together to removed the fallen tree from the resident's property. Related to this incident, the associated utility pole snapped on Hampton Road and fell on a Olmsted Road woman's 2014 Honda while she was driving near the pole on Hampton Road Feb. 13. Fortunately, in this accident, there were no reported injuries. Three children were in the car when the accident occurred.

Cars and roadways
Patrol notified the highway department about a fallen tree blocking a Tompkins Road driveway Feb. 14. Highway workers responded to clear it.

A falling tree branch snapped a primary electrical service line and pulled down a cable wire in front of a Palmer Avenue house Feb. 14. Patrol advised dispatch for proper notification.

The electronic emergency brake malfunctioned and engaged in a car on Carthage Road, blocking traffic, Feb. 14. Patrol was able to get the e-brake to disengage by removing the key from the ignition and pressing the e-brake button multiple times. The driver cancelled the tow and drove the car from the location. The driver was advised to seek service for the problem.

A driver complained about a large pothole at Post and Carman Roads Feb. 14. Patrol noticed large postholes at Post and Mamaroneck roads the same day. Traffic cones were placed in the potholes to warn drivers. The highway department and the New York State Department of Transportation were notified.

The water department was notified about a broken water main with gushing water on Lockwood Road Feb. 14.

Con Edison was notified about fallen wires at Post and Olmsted roads and Post and Oxford roads Feb. 15.

On Feb. 15, police conducted a traffic stop of a 65-year-old Nyack driver who failed to use his turn signal at Chase and Popham roads and who was seen driving while holding a cell phone in his hand. The driver said he was holding the phone in his hand "by habit." A check of his driver's license revealed it had been revoked for "failure to pay NYS taxes." He was issued appropriate summonses.

The highway department and the NYS Department of Transportation were advised about potholes at Old Lyme Road and Normandy Lane Feb. 15.

Summonses were issued to the registered owners of two cars parked on Brook Lane in violation of parking restrictions Feb. 15.

Patrol removed a box from Post Road Feb. 16.

A man asked police to help him find his car on Christie Place Feb. 17. Later, he remembered parking his car at Village Hall instead.

The traffic light at Fenimore Road and Walworth Avenue was malfunctioning Feb. 19. An electrician was called in, and he fixed it.

Eight car accidents were reported in the village this week.

Animals
Police picked up a loose dog from Brewster Road and reunited it with its owner after the owner came to headquarters to report the missing dog Feb. 15. The owner was issued an appropriate summons.

Church Lane residents advised of a feral cat in the area Feb. 15. Police services were not needed.

A Fox Meadow Road resident reported a fox lying in her backyard Feb. 18. The animal did not appear to be injured or sick – only sleeping. While police were on scene, the fox got startled, woke up and ran out of the yard.

Lost and found
A license plate was found in a pile of snow in the driveway of a Greenacres Avenue house Feb. 18. The plate did not belong to anyone who lived at the house. A computer check revealed the plate belonged to a Hartsdale woman. She was notified, via her husband, who said he would pick up the plate later that afternoon.
A Scarsdale Middle School student lost his iPhone 6 at school Feb. 16.

Firefighters
Firefighters notified Con Edison about power lines entangled with trees or fallen to the ground on Rectory Lane and Hampton, Copper and Tomkins roads Feb. 13.

A branch fell on a Cohawney Road roof Feb. 13. Firefighters advised the homeowner to call a tree service. There was no structural damage to the house.

High winds blew over an outdoor barbecue grill attached to a gas service line at a Lincoln Road house Feb. 13. Con Edison shut down the gas service line and was attending to the problem.

Elevated carbon monoxide levels were found in a Rock Creek Lane house Feb. 14. Con Edison locked the gas supply and red-tagged multiple appliances with problems Feb. 14. Firefighters helped ventilate the house.

Firefighters notified Con Edison about an outdoor gas odor on Ogden Road Feb. 14.

A Penn Road resident called police about a cat stuck on the roof Feb. 15. The cat got off the roof without any help, and firefighters were not needed.

An odor in an Oak Lane house was caused by a skunk trapped in a window well Feb. 16. Firefighters advised the homeowner to call a trapper.

Water dripping though a ceiling in a Wildwood Road house was caused by a leaking HVAC unit in the attic Feb. 16. The resident was advised to call an electrician and plumber.

Con Edison was working extensively on identifying and repairing a gas leak of a high pressure main on Church Lane Feb. 18. Firefighters provided assistance as needed, including notification to homeowners.

A gas valve was found damaged on Chesterfield Road, possibly from a snowplow, Feb. 19. Con Edison was notified.

This week, firefighters assisted a two car accidents in the village. They responded to three false carbon monoxide alarms and 14 false fire alarms caused by device malfunction, cooking smoke, construction dust, shower steam and burnt food.

This report covering police and fire department activity from Feb. 13 – 19 was compiled from official information.

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