Police Arrest Two Intoxicated Drivers; Engagement Rings Reported Stolen

Arrested: On Aug. 9, police arrested James F. McBrien, 39, of Stamford, on charges of driving while intoxicated (first offense), aggravated DWI with a blood alcohol content of .18 of more with no priors, operating a motor vehicle without a valid inspection certificate, driving to the left of pavement markings and an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle on a highway. Police conducted a traffic stop of McBrien’s 2008 Lexus after the car was observed traveling at a slow rate of speed on Mamaroneck Road, crossing over pavement markings. Upon making contact with McBrien, police detected the smell of alcohol on his breath, glassy eyes and slurred speech. When police asked McBrien to step out of the car, police noticed four open beer cans in the driver’s side door panel. Each can was almost entirely consumed. Police administered field sobriety tests, which McBrien was unable to successfully perform. Following McBrien’s arrest, he was taken to headquarters, issued appropriate summonses and released on his own recognizance with an appearance ticket for Scarsdale Village Justice Court.

At 6:30 a.m., Aug. 10, after seeing a car stopped in the position of mid-turn onto Tompkins Road from Fenimore Road, police determined the driver – Rashida Jones, 28, of Yonkers – was asleep. The key was in the ignition, and the motor was running. Police woke up Jones and observed her to be very disoriented and incoherent. Furthermore, her eyes were glassy and bloodshot, and her breath smelled of alcohol. An alco-sensor test indicated the presence of alcohol on her breath. Jones was arrested on charges of operation of a motor vehicle while intoxicated (with a prior conviction), aggravated DWI with a blood alcohol level of .18 or more (with a prior conviction) and a stopping/standing/parking violation. She was released on $100 cash bail with an appearance ticket for Scarsdale Village Justice Court, returnable Aug. 14.

Stolen
On Aug. 8, a Windsor Lane woman reported her $55,000 engagement ring and some other items were missing from her house. She said she last saw the missing jewelry in May. During the period that the items disappeared, a home health aide had been staying with the woman’s husband, the woman said.

On Aug. 8, a Lebanon Road woman reported her $42,543 engagement ring and her $5,680 wedding band were missing from her house. The woman said delivery people were recently in her house, installing a desk, when the jewelry went missing – sometime between Aug. 1 and 3.

ID theft
On Aug. 6, a Ferncliff Road resident reported that one of his personal checks, written for $3,200, was fraudulently cashed. The resident did not know the person who signed the check for payment. Additionally, earlier on the same day, the resident received a call from Chase Bank alerting him to the fact that someone attempted to use a debit card in his name at a Target store. The store declined the transaction. The man said he was still in possession of his actual debit card. Bank employees instructed the man to destroy the card because he would be issued a new one.

On Aug. 6, a Brite Avenue woman reported she was the victim of identity theft. She said someone fraudulently used her life insurance check in an attempt to open a savings account. However, the bank denied the deposit of the check due to name differences and suspected fraud. The woman also reported that on Aug. 5, someone attempted to change her address with the U.S. Postal Service. She did not recognize the requested forwarding address, but the address was in her hometown, she told police.

On Aug. 9, an Eton Road man reported an unknown person opened a fraudulent Verizon account in his name.

Suspicious
A Stratton Road man reported that his daughter said she saw a figure, possibly a man, come up to the rear window of his living room before running away Aug. 6. Patrol canvassed the area but did not find anyone.

Police received three prank 911 calls alleging problems at an Old Lyme Road house this week. The calls were determined to be prank calls.

Assistance rendered
Police threw away two empty toolboxes found on Birchall Drive Aug. 5.

A Cohawney Road resident reported that someone called her cell phone and asked if she was home Aug. 6. The resident got scared and hung up the phone. Police attempted to contact the caller and left a message. Police offered to perform extra ridebys of the resident’s house as a precaution.

Cars and roadways
Drivers and passersby expressed concern about a woman walking in the roadway on Weaver Street Aug. 5. Police spoke to the woman and reminded her of the importance of safely walking on the sidewalk or the side of the road. Later in the day, police assisted the same woman safely get from Weaver Street onto Palmer Avenue.

On Aug. 5 and 7, police closed Butler Road for repairs to the water main.
Police notified Verizon about fallen wires on Walworth Avenue Aug. 6.
Patrol helped a driver move her disabled car to a legal parking spot on Taunton Road after the car stalled in front of the driveway to Village Hall Aug. 6. The driver said her husband would come to the scene and deal with the car.

Police notified the highway department about a loose manhole cover at Brewster and Olmsted roads Aug. 7.
A concerned citizen saw a car on Mamaroneck Road, occupied by two people using their hands to hold a mattress balanced on the roof Aug. 7. Police searched the area for the car and mattress but did not find either.

Police helped a pedestrian cross Weaver Street and escorted her out of the roadway Aug. 7 and 10.

Police helped track down the driver of a parked car that needed to be moved so the highway department could continue with road repairs at Scarsdale Avenue and Popham Road Aug. 7.

Police notified Con Edison about a drooping wire on Post Road Aug. 8. Additionally a branch fell on a parked car on private property, and patrol advised a neighbor, who was house sitting, to contact the homeowner.

A person reported that a white van struck a beam in Freightway Garage and left the scene Aug. 8.

Police arranged to have a disabled Honda towed from Heathcote Road Aug. 9.

Police stood by until a disabled car was towed from the Hutchinson River Parkway Aug. 9.

On Aug. 10, police notified the highway department about a fallen branch on Whig Road. They also notified Con Edison about a snapped guide wire on a utility police in the same area.

Five car accidents were reported in the village this week.

Village code
Police issued landscapers summonses for using gas-powered leaf blowers in violation of village code on Rock Creek Lane and Heathcote Road Aug. 5, Wildwood Road Aug. 6 and Mamaroneck Road Aug. 10.

After a neighbor complained about noise, a Walworth Avenue resident lowered the volume of an outdoor movie Aug. 5.

A peddler was selling food without a permit on Sherbrooke Road Aug.9. Police issued him a summons.

A woman reported two men and one woman women attempted to sell her jewelry out of their truck on Griffen Avenue Aug. 9.

After neighbors complained of noise, police advised the host of a Garden Road pool party to lower the volume of outdoor music after 11 p.m., Aug. 11.

Animals
Police picked up a small black dog walking without a collar on Sherbrooke Road Aug. 9. The dog was not wearing any identifying information; so police contacted New Rochelle Human Society for pickup. Before NRHS workers could respond to pick up the dog, the dog’s owner contacted headquarters looking for the dog. Police returned the dog to its owner and issued the owner a summons.

Police notified the highway department about a dead raccoon on Mamaroneck Road, for removal, Aug. 9.

Lost and found
A Walworth Avenue man reported finding cash outside his house Aug. 5. Police vouchered it for safekeeping.

Police found a cell phone on East Parkway and returned it to its owner Aug. 7.
A passerby found a VW key near a bench at Hyatt Field and gave it to police Aug. 11.

Firefighters
According to Fire Captain James Seymour, firefighters responded to 24 incidents this week. He shared details of some of the incidents below.

On Aug. 5, a car struck a fire hydrant on Brookby Road, causing the cap to break off and a large amount of water to leak into the street. Police and the water department were on scene to address the problem Firefighters assisted as needed.

A light haze of smoke was detected inside a closed and unoccupied Palmer Avenue nail salon Aug. 7. Firefighters broke the lock, entered the establishment and traced the haze to an overheated electrical appliance. Firefighters disconnected the appliance and ventilated the structure. The property manager was notified.

While installing a new doorbell, a Brambach Road homeowner detected a burning odor in the vicinity of the doorbell Aug. 8. Firefighters investigated and determined the doorbell chime had shorted and was causing the odor. Firefighters advised the homeowner to contact a repairperson.

A worker using a gas-powered power washer inside a Butler Road basement caused elevated levels of carbon monoxide to accumulate. Firefighters shut down the equipment, evacuated the house, ventilated and instructed the worker and the homeowner to refrain from using gas-powered equipment in non-ventilated spaces and never indoors. While ventilating the structure, firefighters noticed two disconnected hot water heaters in the room. The building department was notified, and the homeowner was advised to have a licensed plumber reconnect both hot water heaters.

On Aug. 11, police assisted at a car accident in which a driver struck a tree on Mamaroneck Road. He said he was not injured. He told police he was dehydrated and that is what caused the accident.

This report covering police and fire department activity from Aug. 5-11 has been compiled from official information.

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