Phone Scammers Prey on the Elderly - and More from the Scarsdale Police
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 8326
Phone Scams: An elderly couple who live on Brown Road became the victims of a scam when they responded to a phone call telling them to wire $14,000 to free their grandson. The 90 year-old man and his 96 year-old wife were called on 4/28 by someone who identified himself as their grandson and said he had been arrested in Canada. Then another man, who said he was Steve Richards, Police Officer, told the woman to wire $14,000 in bail funds to free her grandson from jail. Before taking action, the couple hung up and re-dialed the phone number and Policeman Richards answered the phone and gave them instructions to send the funds to Florida. The Scarsdale man when to the bank and transferred the funds and called back Richards who promised to release their grandson within three hours. Richards asked for a bank transaction number which the Scarsdale man did not have. However, soon after making the call, the Scarsdale man realized he was the victim of a scam and came to police. Police told him to freeze his bank account.
A Ridgedale Road woman went to the police on May after she received a similar call from someone who said he was her grandson, "Danny. He said he was arrested in Haiti and needed $1,500 sent to him. Since the woman had not spoken to Danny's family in years she was skeptical. She told the caller that she would call the police for assistance and he hung up. She went to the police and gave them phone numbers for people who were in touch with Danny and said that other than the name, none of the details made sense. She did not forward the money.
A Lebanon Road man received a call from someone posing as Officer Richard Lewis of the IRS who said he owed $1,200 in back taxes. Lewis told the Lebanon Road man to go to CVS, purchase Green Dot gift cards and read the code from the cards to Lewis on the phone. The Scarsdale man realized it was a scam and did not follow the caller's instructions.
Pedestrian Hit and Run: Adlofo Excobar of Mamaroneck was hit be a bright blue car on Ogden Road at 9:50 am on Saturday. After the driver hit him the car left the scene without stopping. The victim was taken to White Plains hospital. The car that hit the victim was found abandoned in a driveway on Brewster Road. Police are still trying to determine who was driving it. We spoke to the residents of the Brewster Road home about the incident and here is what they shared, "I was at the gym and my husband went for a walk. Upon returning 20 minutes later, my husband found a strange car in our driveway. After determining it wasn't a visitor of any neighbors, he called the police. They came right away since the color of the car fit the description of the hit and run. They brought the eyewitnesses over to ID the car and then waited for a detective. Then the called a tow truck and impounded the car."
Identity Thefts: A Hampton Road woman reported that someone had used her husband's AMEX card to make purchases at Bloomingdales, Foot Locker, Bath & Body Works and Macy's on April 28. The account was cancelled and all of the fraudulent charges were removed from the account.
On April 29, a Greenacres man reported that someone had used his and his wife's social security numbers to file fraudulent tax returns in Michigan, and Indiana. They also received a refund check from the Indiana Department of Revenue. Police advised the couple to advise the credit bureaus and to monitor their accounts for fraudulent activity.
A Brite Avenue man reported that someone had used his Social Security number to file fraudulent tax returns in Colorado, Michigan and Indiana. The man contacted the states' revenue departments and completed an identity theft affidavit for the IRS.
Death: Janet Jean Levkoff, age 97, passed away at her home on Bradford Road at 2:35 pm on April 30th. Her nurse told police she had last seen Ms. Levkoff alive between 1 and 1:30 pm. She died of natural causes and her body was taken to Ballard Durand Funeral home in White Plains.
Domestic Disputes: A Popham Road woman came to police on April 30 to say that her housekeeper had disappeared with the house key to the Popham Road home. The housekeeper had called to say that she no longer wished to work for the Scarsdale woman but had not returned the key. Police attempted to reach the woman and she returned the key on May 2.
A Richbell Road woman came to police on the afternoon of April 30 to reported that a pair of reading glasses, valued at $250 were removed from her home on April 21. She said that a housekeeper had taken the glasses and that she fired her. She did not wish to proceed with a criminal investigation.
Parents of a 12-year-old boy called police on the afternoon of 5/1 when the boy was out of control, throwing things and refused to go to the doctor. Police found him subdued and after speaking to the police he agreed to go to his appointment.
Egged: At 10:30 pm on Saturday May 3, a driver reported that his car was hit by an egg when he was driving on Fenimore Road. The car was not damaged.
Violations: Noel Fernandez Rosario of New Rochelle was stopped on Weaver Street on the night of 5/2 when the police scanner revealed he was driving a car with a suspended registration due to an insurance lapse. The plates were removed from his car, it was towed to his house and he was given a summons. Brian Rodrigues of New Rochelle was also stopped on Weaver Street on the night of 5/2. The vehicle he was driving belonged to Redwood Nursery in Larchmont and had a suspended registration. The plates were removed, the vehicle was towed to Redwood Nursery and Rodrigues was given a summons. Khalid Mughal of Scarsdale was also stopped on the night of 5/2 for driving a car with a suspended registration. Plates were removed, the car was towed and Mughal was issued a summons.
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 website.
Trespasser Arrested and More from the Police
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 13733
Trespasser: A Brite Avenue woman reported that a large Asian man attempted to enter her home on the afternoon of April 23. He drove a red Volvo to her house, knocked on the door and said, "Can you let me in? I need directions." When she said "no," he again asked for direction and made an aggressive attempt to get into the house. She called the police who stopped the man. He was brought to the police station and seemed confused as to why he had been brought in. After responding to five questions he stopped speaking to police. He tugged on the door to the cell and asked why it was locked. He then told police, "Okay, open the door. I have to go. My father is sick." He was taken to Village Court where he was arraigned and remanded to Westchester County Jail pending a mental health evaluation. Cash bail was set at $100.
Police got a call about someone entering an abandoned house at 2 River Road on the night of 4-27. Police
investigated and found that the garage door was unlocked. They searched the house but found no one.
Scams: A Mamaroneck Road woman received a threatening call from a man who identified himself as Special Agent Thomas and accused her of buying pharmaceutical drugs online. Thomas claimed he was sending special agents to the house to arrest her. After the woman hung up, she googled "Special Agent Thomas" and found numerous posts about incidents where he attempted to extort money. She reported the incident to the police.
A Montgomery Road woman said that she received a call on 4-22 from a man who claimed to be an IRS agent and asked to speak to her daughter. He said her daughter should call him about an audit of her tax return. When the woman started asking questions the man said she would receive something in the mail. She then hung up.
Identity Thefts: A Horseguard Lane man reported that someone had used his social security number to file a tax return online. He also said that his Disover credit card had been compromised in February and used at an Apple store in Queens. A similar incident occurred at his neighbor's home. Another Horseguard Lane man reported that someone had used his social security number to file with the IRS, and the states of Michigan, California, Indiana and Connecticut. He also receive a refund check from Indiana as well as a request for an audit from the state of Michigan.
A Cayuga Road man reported that an imposter had used his social security number to file tax returns with the federal government and several states. The man received a letter from Michigan rejecting the return as well as a tax refund check from the state of Indiana.
Missing: The ground bar was stolen from the Verizon Wireless cell phone tower on Secor Road. A man who maintains the tower discovered the theft. He said the ground bar was valued at $50 and was there when he last inspected the tower on February 21.
A woman reported that her 11 year-old son was lost at the high school carnival at 8:40 pm on April 25. Police found the boy and returned him to his parents.
Found: On April 23, Police found a rusted and abandoned 10-speed bicycle locked to the village-owned bike rack on East Parkway. The bike will be removed from the rack.
Police received a pair of Beats Studio wireless headphones, valued at $290 by mail on 4/23. The sender said he learned these were stolen and asked police to return them to the rightful owner.
A set of keys on a key ring with the Westchester County Seal were found on 4/24 and turned over to police. In addition to the Schlage brand brass colored key there were tags for Ben and Jerry's and CVS and a Swiss Army brand penknife.
A Rawlings Heritage brown, left-hand baseball glove was found at the intersection of Kingston and the Post Roads on 4/26 and turned over to police.
A Nelson Road woman found a wallet at the intersection of Drake and Nelson Road on April 26. The wallet contained id cards, credit cars, a personal check and $533.43. The woman turned the wallet over to police who were able to contact the owner who lives in Waccabuc.
Animals: A sick raccoon was found at the playground of the Edgewood School at 3 pm on 4-22. When the raccoon left the school grounds, police shot it and removed it. They said they would test the carcass and send the test results to the principal. A dead rabbit was interrupting traffic at the intersection of Boulder Brook Road and Saxon Woods Road on April 24. The Highway Department picked it up.
A half-eaten squirrel was found on the porch of a Rodney Road home at noon on 4-21. Police assisted the resident with removing it.
Damage: Motion detector lights at a Montrose Road home were broken and found on the ground on April 11 and April 22. The damage may have occurred due to the weather but the resident could not be sure.
Disputes: On April 23, a Kent road woman called to say the her ex-husband was at her home and would not leave, despite an order of protection. Police spoke to the man who was sitting in his car in front of the house. He showed police paperwork that said he had joint custody of his son and was approved to see him. However, the boy would not come out. Police directed the man to family court to resolve the matter.
Two boys who were playing basketball at the Greenacres field at 10:50 pm on April 25 were given a warning by police for playing after hours.
A Rural Drive woman called police at 10:40 pm on April 27, when her husband, who suffers from Alzheimer's, was trying to leave the house. Police found the man disoriented but cooperative. He agreed to go to White Plains Hospital for evaluation.
Police picked up Naomi Goodman of Madison Road after she failed to respond to a warrant dating back to January 2014. She was booked and taken to Village Court where she was released on her own recognizance.
Two Arrests in Greenburgh:
On Friday April 25, 2014 at about 2:00 P.M. Greenburgh Police responded to 90 Manhattan Avenue in Fairview to investigate a call from a 29-year-old resident of the building reporting that her boyfriend had assaulted her. While the victim was away from home, Randy L Anderson Age 22 of 1162 Post Road Scarsdale unlawfully entered her apartment in violation of a Court Order. The victim returned home and discovered Anderson in her apartment. An argument ensued and Anderson struck the victim in the head with a beer can. Anderson then fled from the apartment and was discovered a short time later hiding in the rear of the Shell Station located at 399 Knollwood Road. He was placed under arrest.
Anderson was charged with Burglary 1st a B-Felony, Assault 2nd a D-Felony and Criminal Contempt 1st an E-Felony. He was arraigned and remanded to the Westchester County Jail. The victim was treated for head injuries by Greenburgh EMS.
On Monday April 28, 2014 Greenburgh Detectives arrested Thomas Milo age 37 of 37 North Central Avenue Hartsdale NY after an investigation into an incident that occurred in the lobby of 37 North Central Avenue on the afternoon of April 22, 2014. An investigator with the Alliance Worldwide Investigative Group Inc. had gone to the building to speak to Mr. Milo about a workmen's compensation case when a confrontation ensued between the two in the entrance lobby. The investigator was assaulted and his cell phone taken. Mr. Milo surrendered with his attorney at Greenburgh Police Headquarters and was charged with Robbery 2nd, a C-Felony and Assault 2nd, a D-Felony. He was held pending arraignment in the Greenburgh Town Court. As a result of the assault the victim sustained injuries to his face.
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 website.
Arrested and Harassed: Scarsdale Police Report
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 6843
While many celebrated the advent of spring at Passover Seders this week, Mother Nature had ideas of her own. Scarsdale woke up on Wednesday morning to find a dusting of snow on spring flowers. Here's what the police reported this week:
Arrested: Ike Okoli, age 26, of Lockwood Road continued to have problems this week when he was arrested for making a false report to the police and criminal contempt. The arrest involved events that occurred between 12/12 and 4/14. Most recently, on March 13, Okoli said that that his neighbor's son beat him with a bat and punched him in the face at 5:50 pm that day. However in the course of telling police what happened, he changed his story, first saying it happened that day, then saying it happened a week ago. Police knocked on the neighbor's door and found that the son had not been home since early in the morning. The incident appeared to be unfounded.
Harassed: At 2 am on April 7 a 23 year-old Madison Road woman said that she had ben harassed on Facebook by a 21 year-old young woman from Scarsdale who threatened to "break her (the victim's) neck if she continued to talk to her boyfriend, and said she would "smash the victim's windshield with a crowbar." The victim shared recordings of the phone calls and screen shots of the postings on Facebook with the police. The victim did not wish to press charges. The victim was contacted again at 11 am that morning before police were able to contact the woman who was making the threats.
Found: Two money grams valued at $250 and $200 were found on East Parkway on April 7 and turned over to the police. Later in the afternoon the owner of the money grams came to police headquarters to claim them.
A BMW car key, found on East Parkway, was turned over to police on April 8. They contacted the BMW dealer who was able to identify the owner of the keys and police contacted the woman to come in to retrieve her keys.
Vandalism: A Mamaroneck Road woman reported that someone broke into her 2014 Mercedes while it was parked in her driveway overnight on April 7-8 and stole several items including two pair of sunglasses, each valued at $400, a wallet, a bottle of Don Julio tequila, $120 in cash and three credit cards. The car was unlocked when it was entered and was not damaged.
Theft: A 14 year-old boy who attends Scarsdale High School said that a pair of Beats Studio Headphones valued at $290 and his keys were stolen from his back pack which he left in the locker room during his gym class on April 9. When he returned an hour later the items were gone.
Stolen Bike: A Tuckahoe man reported that his Lamborghini bicycle, valued at $250 was stolen from the bike rack on Depot Place around 3 pm on April 12. The bike lock was cut and the bike was gone.
Dirty Water: Police received several calls about dirty water coming from the pipes on April 7. Residents were advised that the water department was flushing out the pipes which sometimes causes the water to be discolored.
Damage: A rock thrown over a backyard fence on Dobbs Terrace damaged the rear sliding door of a home on Brewster Road on April 12. Neighbors agreed to settle the matter privately.
A car parked in the parking lot next to Dean Field was damaged on April 7 when a baseball went through the car window and broke it.
A deliveryman backed his truck into a lamppost on Depot Place at 4 am on April 10. The driver made his delivery, attempted to move the lamppost and left the scene.
Dispute: The ex-husband of a Dickel Road woman called police on 4-13 when he could not get his car back from his son who had borrowed it. Police arrived and the son turned over the car.
Identity Theft: On April 8 a Sylvan Lane woman reported that someone had filed a fraudulent tax return using her identity.
Too big! A Herkimer Road man came to police headquarters on April 9 to tell police that he is concerned about homes 
that are being built on his street. He said that the "size of these homes is changing the old neighborhood," and that he and his neighbors wanted the police to be aware of this. Police told him to contact the building department.
No Ice Cream: A member of the Scarsdale Sustainability Committee reported that an ice cream truck that was idling at the Greenacres School at 3:15 on the afternoon of 4/11. The driver of the truck was advised that the truck was not permitted to park within 100' of the school for more than three minutes within 1 hour of dismissal time. So much for ice cream!
Overweight: Police stopped a truck that was hauling black top material on the Post Road on the afternoon of April 9 because the material was not covered as required by law. Police then determined that the truck was overloaded and took it to the sanitation department where it was weighed and found to be 5,600 lbs. overweight. The truck company was given multiple summons' for operating an overweight truck, not covering the cargo and an improper permit.
Unregistered Drivers: Several people were stopped and arrested for driving with suspended registrations this week. Police stopped Audrey Loveridge, age 57 of the Bronx, Timothy Doyle, age 57 of Scarsdale and Antonino Cannavo, age 53 of Yonkers for driving unregistered vehicles. Their cars were towed and they were issued summons.
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 website.
Nine-Foot Statue Gone and More from the Scarsdale Police:
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 10835
Thefts: A Crawford Lane woman reported that a 9-foot metal sculpture, valued at $6,000 had disappeared from her front lawn. The sculpture depicted a frog holding a golf club. The statue vanished sometime between midnight and 9 am on April 17.
A supervisor at CVS on Popham Road reported the theft of $1,800 in ink cartridges. The theft occurred on April 11 or April 12. The cartridges had been secured to the wall with a magnetic locking mechanism which requires assistance from a store employee to open. The mechanism had not been tampered with, so the supervisor believed that the responsible party had access to the magnetic key. Police will review the surveillance tape though these items were out of view of the security camera.
A white leather bag, valued at $428 was stolen from Pookie and Sebastian on East Parkway on April 14 while the store employees were assisting other customers. The store manager gave police a description of the person he thought had stolen the bag but they were unable to find anyone matching the description in the area.
A Garth Road woman reported that her pocketbook was stolen from her car when it was parked on Depot Place on the afternoon of 4/18. The woman left her bag in her car and went into Dunkin Donuts. When she returned a few minutes later her Coach bag was gone, along with $100 in cash, credit cards, her driver's license and a gift card.
A butcher who works in the meat department at DeCicco's in Scarsdale Village reported that his wallet was stolen from him while he was at the store on April 16. It was taken from a work counter in the butcher's department. Missing are the wallet, the man's driver's license, his social security car and a NYS security guard license.
A Hickory Lane woman said that a bag of rare coins, valued at $3,000 to $8,000 had been taken from home. The coins were in a plastic bag next to a locked vault in her basement. The woman also noticed that upwards of $100,000 in jewelry was missing. She said she would give detectives a complete list. There was no damage to the doors of the house or the basement door where the vault is located.
Lost: A gold ring, valued at $1,5000 was lost in Scarsdale Village on 4/16. The owner picked it up at Wilson and sons Jewelers to have a repair made and en route to his car he dropped it. A search of the Village failed to turn up the ring.
Found: A Capitol One credit card was found at the Parkway Coffee Shop on April 15. The person who found it attempted to get in touch with the card owner – but when he was unable to reach her he turned it over to police.
A black lab was found on Church Lane on the afternoon of 4/19. Police tried to find the owner but the dog's vaccination tag was from Ottowa, Canada. As they were unable to find the owner, police called the New Rochelle Humane Society to pick up the dog. But before they came, a Scarsdale man came to headquarters and said that his sister in law, who was visiting Scarsdale, had lost her black lab.
Arrest: Kristina Posey, age 20 surrendered to Scarsdale Police in response to an outstanding bench warrant on April 16. She was booked and brought before Judge Galloway and given a court date of May 7, 2014. She was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Death: At 6:55 am on April 15, a River Road woman reported that her husband, Doug Bradley had passed away. She found him unresponsive on the couch Paramedics made an attempt to resuscitate the man but were unsuccessful. The Westchester Medical Examiner's office was advised.
Identity Theft: A Garden Road man reported that someone had filed a fraudulent tax return with the IRS using his personal information and also filed a state return in Michigan. The Scarsdale man did not know how his personal information was compromised. A Dolma Road man also reported that a fraudulent return had been filed in his name with the IRS and the state of Michigan.
A Bradford Road many complained that a personal check that he mailed to the Department of Motor Vehicles on April 11 had been tampered with and the funds had been diverted. He mailed a check for $3,086 to the DMV but someone intercepted the check, changed the payee name and the check amount and stole his funds.
Scam: A Fenimore Road woman received a phone call from someone who claimed to be from the IRS on 4/17. The caller said he was going to send the sheriff to her house in 45 minutes to have her deported if she did not pay overdue fines. When she told them that she would call the police herself, they hung up.
Vandalism: An outdoor light fixture at a home on Westview Lane was damaged on April 20. Two glass panes and two light bulbs were broken.
Police went to the intersection of Ewart and Montgomery Roads at 1 pm on April 14 to assist with taking a "drunk individual to the White Plains ER."
Unlicensed scooters: Police got a call about kids riding motorized scooters on Brite Avenue on the afternoon of April 14. They found one young man with a motorized scooter and told him that he was not permitted to ride it in the road.
Stranger in the bushes: A MacDonald Place woman called police on the morning of April 15 when she said someone rang her doorbell and was now hiding in the bushes in front of her house. Police arrived and found a landscaper doing work on the house.
Fence: On April 17, a Richbell Road woman called police to express her concern about her neighbor's "unsightly fence" which she thought may be encroaching on her property. Police told her to call the building department.
Unregistered drivers: Two drivers were nabbed by police for driving with suspended registrations. They were identified as Hilmar Fenger, age 40 of Croton on Hudson and Sabine Poisson, age 50 of Larchmont.
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 website.
Remembering Karl Erik Peterson
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 18579
Karl Erik Peterson, 29, of Scarsdale, died in the early morning hours of April 9. Born May 23, 1984, Mr. Peterson, known as Erik, was the son of Lyn Peterson and Karl Friberg of Park Road. He was the brother of Anne-Marie, Kris and P.F. Peterson.
A 2002 graduate of Scarsdale High School, he attended Syracuse University where he studied design, Mr. Peterson was the art director at Motif Designs in Mamaroneck, his parents' furniture and home design firm.
He was also a talented designer, sculptor, painter and musician. He was lyricist and lead vocalist in a number of bands. His first band, Rothko, performed at small venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The band also helped to raise money for those displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
Erik had a keen sense of design and loved finding old objects to work into his interiors. He also had a tender heart. Once, while conducting a search on Craigslist, he came across a listing for a free dog. He adopted the dog, a huge Great Pyrenees mix, who he named Goliath and loved tremendously.
Mr. Peterson was also an avid skier who loved his family's trips to ski in Deer Valley, Utah. His
sister Anne-Marie recalled a "wonderful" family vacation in February to Park City. "He was the sweetest, gentlest person I knew," Ms. Peterson said. "I have two girls. My oldest one loved playing music with him. He opened up for them and he was always available for them."
His friend Andrew Lichtenberg said, "Growing up with Erik was always exciting. He had an energy that attracted people to him. They could tell, even from afar, that he was an intensely creative and passionate person worth knowing. He pursued his passions, from music and art to skateboarding and skiing, with impressive vigor. Those of us close to Erik witnessed his passion regularly. His family's home was like a second home to us. Following Erik's lead, we felt comfortable exploring ourselves there. We could nearly simultaneously be rebellious teenagers playing music in his attic and suburban kids barbecuing with his family. Growing up with Erik shaped who I am today. I am proud I knew him. While Erik was passionate, he also had a great sense of humor."
"He has left a hole in our hearts and lives and a void that will never be filled," his family said. Read more here.
Donations in Mr. Peterson's memory may be made to JDRF, Juvenile Diabetes Research. Erik was diagnosed with diabetes at age 9. Alternatively, donations may be made to the Dave Nee Foundation. The foundation seeks to eliminate the stigma associated with depression and suicide by promoting and encouraging the diagnosis and treatment of depression among young adults. Checks can be mailed to Dave Nee Foundation, c/o Rachael Barrett, 9412 Fort Hamilton Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11209 or donations can be made online here:
A service for Mr. Peterson will be held at the family home this weekend. For information, contact Anne-Marie Peterson at amer.peterson@gmail.com. The family asks that you please share your memories of Erik; music, pictures, and stories, by sending them to remembering.erikino@gmail.com.
