Police Report: Phone Charger Overheats and Ignites Mattress in Palmer Ave. House Fire. Car Thieves Return

An electrical fire broke out in a Palmer Avenue house around 4:25 p.m., Dec. 13. All residents had evacuated the house before police, firefighters and Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps arrived on scene. A resident reported he had used a fire extinguisher to put out a mattress fire in the basement before firefighters arrived. Firefighters noted evidence of an extension of the fire that had come from an electrical outlet. Smoke was present throughout the house, and Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps transported one resident to the hospital. Firefighters removed the burned mattress and box spring from the house and further extinguished it with a water can. Investigation showed that a cell phone charger had been plugged into the outlet next to the mattress, and the mattress had gotten pushed against the charger and outlet. The fire was determined to have been caused by overheating of the charger, with extension to the mattress and box spring.

DWI
On Dec. 12, police observed a 2018 Mazda CX5 driving without lights on Post Road around 9:20 p.m. The Mazda was also seen driving into a lane of oncoming traffic. Police initiated a traffic stop and noticed a scent of alcoholic beverage coming from the car as the driver – Jasmine Ramirez, 27, of the Bronx – rolled down her window. She showed other signs of intoxication, such as glassy eyes and slurred speech. She told police she had consumed “a few cocktails … a few minutes ago” at a White Plains restaurant. When asked to present her license and registration, Ramirez showed “poor coordination” and first presented police with a credit card, followed by parking tickets. Ramirez failed field sobriety tests, and an alcosensor test indicated the presence of alcohol on her breath. Ramirez was arrested and taken to headquarters, where a Datamaster test measured a blood alcohol level that was above the legal limit. Ramirez was charged with driving while intoxicated (first offense), aggravated DWI with a blood alcohol level of .18 or more with no priors, driving to the left of pavement markings and an equipment violation. Ramirez was released on her own recognizance and issued an appearance ticket for Scarsdale Village Justice Court for Dec. 30.

Stolen car
On Dec. 10, a Reimer Road resident reported her 2019 Audi Q5 was stolen from his driveway overnight.

Car break-ins
On Dec. 10, a Parkfield Road man reported his unlocked car had been broken into the previous night. Car doors had been left open, and a $2,000 empty Goyard handbag was stolen.

On Dec. 10, a Brite Avenue man reported his unlocked Ford Expedition had been broken into the previous night. Nothing was stolen. The car was just ”rummaged through.”

On Dec. 10, a Harvest Drive man reported his unlocked Jeep Cherokee had been broken into the previous night. Nothing was stolen. No signs of force were observed.

On Dec. 10, a Reimer Road man reported valuables, including a tennis bag and four tennis rackets, had been stolen from his unlocked Mercedes, parked in his driveway overnight. The doors were left open by the perpetrators, the man said.

Identity theft
On Dec. 7, a Fox Meadow Road woman reported someone used her Social Security number and name to apply for fraudulent Social Security benefits. She said her husband was also a recent victim of a similar identity theft incident.

On Dec. 12, a Crossway man reported someone used his Social Security number and name to attempt to apply for fraudulent Social Security benefits.

On Dec. 12, a Lee Road man also reported someone used his Social Security number and name to attempt to apply for fraudulent Social Security benefits.

Phishing
An Elm Road woman reported receiving suspicious text messages from unknown senders Dec. 13. The texts contain links for unwanted services and sometimes address the woman by her first name. Police advised the woman to block the senders’ numbers and to engage the texts by clicking the links.

Scam
On Dec. 12, a Post Road woman reported receiving an email from someone whom she believed was an acquaintance. The email contained a request for gift cards to be purchased and sent to the email’s sender. At that point, the woman thought the email might be a scam, and she reported it to police. The woman did not experience any financial loss.

Domestic matter
A Fox Meadow couple called police, stating that their 30-year-old daughter was outside their house, kicking the back door, attempting to get inside around 11:15 p.m., Dec. 9. The couple informed police that the daughter might be intoxicated and was in an agitated state. Once police arrived on scene, the couple further told police that the daughter would be allowed into the house once she calmed down. After the daughter took a short walk, she called her parents and advised that she was returning home and would go to sleep. No further police assistance was necessary.

Homeless
A homeless man was observed to be sleeping in a sheltered area on Harwood Court at 9:20 p.m., Dec. 12. The man told police he was making his way to New York City and stopped to nap because he was tired. Police told him he was not permitted to sleep there. Police asked if he needed medical attention or a shelter, and the man refused. Police directed the man to the train station so he could safely continue on his way to New York City.

Out late
At 1:18 a.m., Scarsdale police received a call from New Rochelle police, regarding a group of youth who were seen with backpacks on Weaver Street near Quaker Ridge School. Police thought the kids might have been attempting to commit larcenies. NRPD stopped the kids and interviewed them. It was determined they were New Rochelle residents, and they were dismissed from the area with no further incidents.

Left on the doorstep
The principal of Immaculate Heart of Mary School, on Boulevard, reported receiving an unwanted package by the school’s front door Dec. 8. Police arrived at the school and were directed to a small accordion style file folder that had been left there by an unknown party. Police observed that the folder was moving about in the wind, demonstrating that it was lightweight and possibly empty. Police removed the folder from the school steps to examine it away from school grounds. It was determined to be empty. Police informed school officials that the folder was not dangerous. School officials requested that the folder be thrown away.

Left in mailbox
A Rochambeau Road man reported that a $200 gift card was left inside his mailbox Dec. 9. It was addressed to a person who does not live at his address. The card had a number written on it, and when police put that number and the Rochambeau Road man’s street name together, a GPS system directed police to the address where the gift card was received, even though the street address of the Rochambeau Road man was different.

Flashing lights
On Dec. 12, a caller reported a house near the intersection of Brookby and Wheelock roads to have “flashing interior lights.” Police went to the scene and observed several houses outfitted with Christmas lights and decorations. Some of the lights were flashing. However, police did not see any houses with flashing interior lights.

Concerns
An Edgewood Road woman reported an exterior keypad and light were not functioning properly at her house Dec. 7. Police offered to check the devices, but the woman declined and said her son could check them. She did ask police, however, to conduct extra ridebys in case the keypad might have been tampered with.

Police conducted a walk through of a Murray Hill Road house after a burglar alarm sounded earlier in the day, on Dec. 10. Nothing was discovered missing, but one window screen seemed to be out of place.

After noticing an open garage door at a Carthage Road house Dec. 11, police checked with the homeowner to make sure everything was OK – and it was.

At 2:40 a.m., Dec. 13, a woman called police to report a man was staring at her while she was riding the train home. She asked police to meet her at the station because she was afraid to walk home alone. She later called back to say the man did not exit the train when she got off at the station.

A caller said she saw two women walking on a trail leading from the area of Weaver Street and Haverford Road to Mamaroneck Road, with a man possibly following them, Dec. 13. She reported it so police could check on it. Police canvassed the area and did not see any people walking on a trail.

Cars and roadways
Police notified the Department of Transportation about a large pothole at Weaver Street and Crossway Dec. 7. While waiting for repair, police erected traffic cones around the pothole to alert motorists.

On Dec. 7, a car was involved in an accident with a Bee Line bus on Post Road. The driver and the offending car left the scene.

On Dec. 10, a Liberty Lines bus driver reported a truck rear-ended his bus while the bus was turning left from Post Road onto Boulevard. The bus driver did not stop after the impact because he did not realize the car had struck him, although he heard a noise. The truck could not be identified, as per the driver’s recollection.

The highway department reported a truck struck one of its vehicles at School Lane and Brown Road Dec. 10.

Construction vehicles parked on Park Road were disrupting traffic Dec. 10. Police asked the drivers to move their vehicles.

Police cleared a traffic condition on Mamaroneck Road Dec. 11.

On Dec. 13, a caller reported finding a stop sign from the intersection of Garden and Oxford roads lying on the ground. Police placed the stop sign back in the ground and left a note for the highway department to make sure it was properly anchored in place.

Animals
Police received a report of roosters crowing and making noise on Brewster Road shortly before noon, Dec. 7. Police went to the scene, exited the patrol car and listened. All was quiet and no noise violations were detected.

On Dec. 7, a caller reported seeing a loose dog, possibly a pit bull, running around on Drake and Obry roads. A police canvas of the area yielded negative results.

At 9 a.m., Dec. 12, Brewster Road resident reported hearing noisy roosters. Patrol went to the scene and did not hear any roosters crowing.

Village code
On Dec. 11, a Dobbs Terrace woman reported hearing kids screaming in the street after midnight. Police canvassed the area and did not hear or find any noisy youths.

A caller reported an early morning delivery on Palmer Avenue at 5:41 a.m., Dec. 11. On scene, patrol found a delivery driver waiting in his truck on the street. The driver said he had arrived early and would wait until 6:30 before making his delivery.

After neighbors complained of noise from loud voice and music around 11 p.m., Dec. 11, police advised Lawrence Road residents to move their small gathering inside. They said they would.

Found
A bag belonging to a Massachusetts woman was found on the ground near Crossway field parking lot Dec. 7. Police attempted to find contact information for the owner in order to return the contents of the bag to her. Police called Massachusetts police, who said they would go to the woman’s address and instruct her to contact Scarsdale police.

Firefighters
On Dec. 8, firefighters assisted Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps help free an elderly Village resident who got stuck on the floor beneath a bed. Firefighters also helped SVAC place the woman in an ambulance for further care.

Firefighters assisted at a car accident on the Hutchinson River Parkway Dec. 10.

On Dec. 11, firefighters assisted with a car accident on the Bronx River Parkway, involving a car that hit the median guardrail and a patient that was reported to be “in and out of consciousness.” Firefighters removed the battery cables and cleaned up spilled antifreeze. They blocked traffic so the accident could be safely addressed and the patient could be transported to the hospital by SVAC.

A fireplace flue was not operating properly in an Overlook Road house, and smoke was getting into the house Dec. 11. Firefighters determined a fire was contained within the fireplace and had not spread into adjoining walls. Firefighters extinguished the fire, cleaned up the wood embers and used water to fully extinguish them outside. Firefighters advised the homeowner to refrain from using the fireplace again until a chimney professional could examine it.

On Dec. 12, a defective boiler released elevated levels of carbon monoxide into an Obry Road house. Firefighters ventilated the house and stood by for Con Edison. Con Edison red-tagged the boiler.

This report covering police and fire department activity from Dec. 7-13 has been compiled from official information.

This police report is sponsored by Scarsdale Security who does more than just security. Contact them about remote video for your home or business. Call 914-722-2200 or visit their websiteThis police report is sponsored by Scarsdale Security who does more than just security. Contact them about remote video for your home or business. Call 914-722-2200 or visit their website.