Thieves Hit Two More Scarsdale Homes and a Downtown Jeweler
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Thieves continued to prey on Scarsdale this week, hitting another home in Greenacres as well as a Heathcote home. This week’s burglaries follow similar incidents on Windmill Road on 9/25, Greenacres Avenue on 9/29, and River Road on 10/12. In all cases the thieves entered the homes through the back or side of the house and proceeded directly to the master bedrooms in search of jewelry. According to Thomas Altizio of the Scarsdale Police, “All of the burglaries are active investigations and our Detectives have been pursuing leads across Westchester and Rockland Counties, and into New York City. We believe some of the burglaries that occurred in Scarsdale are related to perpetrators who have struck in Greenburgh and White Plains and we are working together with those agencies and sharing information regarding possible suspects. Burglaries have increased across the local region and we encourage residents to utilize alarm and security systems and make sure their homes are secured. One of the best things residents can do is look out for one another. Homeowners should stay alert to activities in their neighborhood, keep an eye on their neighbors homes and most importantly call the Police Department when they observe suspicious persons or activity in the area so it can be checked out by a Patrol Officer.”
In addition, this week a downtown jewelry store was robbed. Here are the details:
Two diamond rings, one valued at $6,000 and the other at $9,000, were stolen from Sam Lehr Jewelry on Harwood Court on the afternoon of October 22. According to the owner, a clean-shaven, bald, black man came to the store around 1 pm and asked to see two rings. After he considered them for a while he said he was going to leave and asked for the name of a place to have lunch. Ten minutes later he re-entered the store and asked to see the rings again. This time, with the rings in his hand, he fled the store on foot and went through the underpass onto Popham Road. Police had a description of the man’s car but were unable to find him. A surveillance video is available from the store and will be reviewed by police.
Burglaries: Wheelock Road residents returned home around 11 pm on the night of October 21 and found that their home had been entered and robbed. It appeared that burglars had used a rock to break a sliding glass door and enter the house. Once inside they rummaged through the dining room and master bedroom. In the bedroom, they threw clothes on the floor and emptied the contents of a jewelry box. The residents reported that a large amount of jewelry and watches were missing and possibly the silverware as well. They will provide a complete list to the police.
On October 22, a similar incident occurred on Eton Road. The homeowners returned to the house at 10:30 pm and found that a glass back door was broken. There were pry marks on the door and the glass had been pushed in. The master bedroom and master bathroom were tossed and jewelry was stolen. Though the alarm was on, the motion detector was off as the family has a dog so the alarm was not activated. The owners will supply a full list of the missing jewelry to the police.
Custody: A father from Stormville, NY came to Scarsdale Police headquarters on the evening of October 17th with a court order allowing him to take his 16 year-old son from his mother’s home on Mamaroneck Avenue. In compliance with the court order, the mother brought the boy to headquarters to turn him over to his father until November 29, 2011.
Fraud: A White Road man got a call from American Express on October 5 telling him that someone had opened a credit card account to be billed to his address. On October 6th he received the credit card in the mail and on October 7th, Amex called again to say that $6,179 had been billed to the unauthorized card account.
On 10/20 Tunstall Road residents reported that someone had printed fraudulent Chase checks using their account number and business name. Six checks, totaling $8,832, were chased at six different Chase branches, two in Jamaica and Corona Queens. Copies of the checks were sent to the residents who noted that their signature was forged on the checks. Chase made good on the funds.
A Brite Avenue woman reported that she had received a Western Union package with a survey and U.S. Postal money orders with instructions to cash them on 10/21. Police contacted Western Union who found that these were falsified documents.
Sprague Road residents found that someone had used their name and social security numbers to file a fraudulent tax return and get a refund to boot! The imposters also had a refund check mailed to them. However it has not been cashed. When the Scarsdale residents tried to file their legitimate return it was rejected twice. The IRS is investigating. The report was filed with the Scarsdale Police on 10/12.
Missing: A 38 year-old resident of Search for Change on the Post Road was reported missing on 10/20, but later found to be in the custody of the White Plains police, where she had been arrested for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. The woman was sent to the County jail, the missing person alarm was cancelled and the woman’s mother was called.
A Rectory Lane woman reported that a 6 year-old boy was missing from the Girl Scout House on Wayside Lane at 10:30 am on 10/22. By the time police arrived, the boy was found.
Seasoned: June Sandberg of Popham Road reported that someone had poured salad dressing on her car when it was parked in the church lot behind 45 Popham Road overnight on 10/17 – 10/18.
Kids: Police received a report of kids congregating in George Field Park at 10:15 on the night of 10/21. By the time Police arrived the kids were gone.
Accidents: An 11 year-old Scarsdale boy riding his bike on Griffen Avenue was hit by a Larchmont woman driving a 2010 SUV at 5:20 on 10/17. According to the driver, the boy rode into the roadway without looking. In an attempt to avoid the cyclist, the car hit a curb. SVAC was called but medical attention was refused.
A 23 year-old man from Tory Lane hit a fire hydrant while driving on Mamaroneck Road on the night of 10/18. The hydrant was damaged. The driver claimed he fell asleep at the wheel.
At 3:48 am on 10/22 George Nader of Eastchester was driving his 2010 Mercedes southbound on the Post Road when the car crossed into the northbound lane, went over the curb on the opposite side of the street and clipped a tree at 956 Post Road. The car flipped over. Nader had a bloody nose but was otherwise uninjured and refused medical attention.
Procedure Committee Announces CNC Candidate Slate
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The Scarsdale Procedure Committee has announced the slate of candidates for election to the Citizen’s Nominating Committee for 2011. There are two candidates vying for each available seat. In most of the districts there are 4 candidates running for 2 seats with the exception of Greenacres where there are six candidates running for three seats -- due to the resignation of one nominator this year. Full bios of each candidate will be posted next week on the Procedure Committee website.
Voting will take place at Scarsdale Village Hall on Tuesday November 15 from 7:00 – 9:30 am and 2 – 9 pm. Absentee ballots will also be available on the Procedure Committee website and should be mailed to the Procedure Committee, P.O. Box 284, Scarsdale, NY 10583. They must be received by 5 pm on November 14, 2011 to be counted. If a runoff election is needed, it will be held at Village Hall on Tuesday, November 22.
Also on the ballot will be proposed amendments to the Non-Partisan Resolution. These are posted below for your consideration.
2011 Citizens Nominating Committee Candidates
Edgewood
- Nathan Barotz
- Betsy Bush
- Michael Duncanson
- Ken Kehoe
Fox Meadow
- Linda Blair
- Anita Mann
- Salvatore Rao
- Ted Tyberg
Greenacres
- Glenn Fishman
- Michael Green
- Barbara Jaffe
- Mona Longman
- Andrew Sereysky
- Jeannette Warner-Goldstein
Heathcote
- Norman W. Bernstein
- Raymond A. Cooper
- David Michaels
- Emilia Rodriguez
Quaker Ridge
- Douglas R. Birns
- Norbert Elsner, MD
- Ken Keats
- Joseph E. Sarachek
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE NON-PARTISAN RESOLUTION
After receipt of oral and written comments, The Procedure Committee has adopted another draft of proposed amendments to the Non-Partisan Resolution, which, after any additional public comments, will be finalized no later than October 7th and submitted to the voters on November 15. The full text of the proposed amendments is available on-line at http://www.scarsdaleprocedurecommittee.org. Here is a summary of the proposed amendments:
1. Proposed amendment to Article II, The Procedure Committee, to prohibit any person who is a member of the Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC), the School Board Administrative Committee (SBAC), the School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC), the School Board, or the Village Board from simultaneously being a member of The Procedure Committee (TPC).
2. Proposed amendment to Article IV, Unit Nominating and Election Procedures, to allow residents to vote by mail-in ballot, accompanied by a certification of eligibility to vote, to be received by TPC by the day before Election Day.
3. Proposed amendments to Article V, regarding eligibility to serve as a member of the CNC,
a. Prohibiting anyone from running for election to the CNC if his or her election would or could cause more than one person from the same household to serve at the same time as a voting member of the CNC.
b. Prohibiting a former Mayor or Trustee of the Village from running for election to the CNC unless more than one election cycle (approximately 19 months) has passed since the person last served in such position.
c. Prohibiting any person from serving as a voting member of the CNC for more than three consecutive years, provided, that a person elected to fill a one-year vacancy in the CNC shall be able to run for and succeed himself or herself with a full three-year term.
d. Prohibiting any person from serving as a voting member of the CNC who is at the time of the election a member of TPC, the SBNC, the SBAC, the School Board or the Village Board.
4. Proposed amendments to Article V, Section 5,
a. allowing TPC to make recommendations to the CNC with respect to its Rules of
Procedure, which shall be consistent with the purpose and provisions of the Non-Partisan Resolution, and
b. providing that any questions of compliance with the provisions of the Resolution regarding Rules of Procedure shall be ruled on by the Chairperson, whose decision can only be overruled by a 2/3 vote of the voting members present.
5. Proposed amendments to Article V, Section 6, to provide that no vote for any nominee for a particular office shall be taken at a meeting at which a Committee member has presented new information as to a nominee for such office based upon the Committee member’s personal experience.
ECC Calls for a Tax Revaluation
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The following letter from the Edgemont Community Council was submitted to the Greenburgh Town Board at its meeting on 10/12: To the Town Board of Greenburgh, The Edgemont Community Council met on October 3, 2011 and voted to ask the town to do a revaluation of taxable properties within the Town immediately.
The Town of Greenburgh and the many taxing entities within it (school and fire districts, among others) need stability in their budgeting and taxing processes, and the continuing number of tax certioraris and grievances make that impossible. We are collectively paying more than $10 million a year in tax refunds, the Town this year is borrowing money to cover these costs for the first time in its entire history, and the State Legislature says tax cert payments are not excluded from the state-mandated property tax cap, which means the money spent on tax certs may result in less money available to educate our children.
Not to mention that it has been 56 years since there has been any revaluation of taxable properties in Greenburgh.
It is way past time for a revaluation.
We also believe that waiting for the county to act, or for special legislation from the State Legislature to enact "hardship provisions" for Greenburgh residents is political gamesmanship. No county action or state-enacted hardship provisions were needed for those towns and villages in Westchester that have already approved revaluation, including the City of Rye, and the Villages of Bronxville and Pelham Manor.
Common sense says that it is time for revaluation.
We know that voting for revaluation will require an act of political courage from the members of the Town Board – as voters and taxpayers, we have the right to expect such courage from our elected officials.
Sincerely,
Geoff Loftus
PresidentThe Edgemont Community Council
Scarsdale Police: Another Greenacres Burglary and a Wandering Boy
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An unusual series of events lead to the arrest of a Scarsdale man for driving while under the influence of drugs at 8 PM on October 10th. The trouble began when a Greendale Road man found someone standing in his driveway who claimed he was lost. The resident called police who began a search for the man and found him on Greendale Road. He identified himself as John Cardenas, age 29 of Elmsford. Cardenas said that he had been dropped off in the area by a friend who was driving Caredenas’ Dodge Journey. Shortly thereafter the friend returned in the car. The driver was found to be under the influence of drugs and after failing sobriety tests was arrested for driving while under the influence. He refused to submit to chemical tests. A search of his license revealed that it had been revoked in April, 2011 for driving while impaired by drugs and refusing to submit to a test. In July, 2011, his drivers license was suspended.
He was taken to Village Court and arraigned before Judge Galloway. He was given a court appearance date and released. Since Cardenas was not in the car and had not committed a crime police let him go.
Burglary: In Greenacres, a River Road home was robbed on the night of October 12th. Burglars stood on a patio table and broke a window on the side of the house. Once inside, it appeared that the intruders worked quickly. They went to the master bedroom, tossed it, and made off with a necklace and watch valued at $10,500. Police spoke with neighbors but no one had seen anything suspicious.
Free Holiday: On 10/14 a Highland Way man found that someone had used his debit card account to make purchases at the Fountainbleu and the Renaissance Hotels in Miami Beach. The suspect registered at the hotels in the name of the Scarsdale resident and when the Scarsdale man called the Renaissance the suspect was still at the hotel. The hotel called the Miami police who arrested two suspects and remanded them to the Miami Dade County Correctional Facility. In total, over $7,500 was taken from the Scarsdale man’s bank account. The names of the suspects were not released by the Scarsdale Police.
Zachys Wine and Liquor was also the victim of fraud. Someone printed counterfeit checks with the name, Zachys Wine Auctions, Inc. Between September 5th and 13th, nine of these checks were written for a total of $22,397. Zachy’s accounting department realized that counterfeit checks had been written and contacted their bank.
In another incident involving Zachy’s, a White Plains man parked his motorcycle at the Zachy’s loading dock at 1:30 pm on October 16. When he returned a few minutes later, his motorcycle bag was gone. There were no witnesses so police will review the Zachy’s video surveillance records.
On 10/16 a Rye woman reported that her iPhone had been stolen when she was at Westchester Reform Temple on the night of 10/14. She was able to use the phone’s GPS tracking device to track the phone’s location and knew it was in Greenwich, CT but was unable to retrieve it.
Wandering Boy: On the afternoon of 10/15 a Stratton Road resident found a 4 year-old child roaming the street alone. She brought the child to her front step and her husband called the police. Police contacted the boy’s father, a rabbi, who said that the boy had tried to follow his mother to temple. The next day police received a second call about the same child from another neighbor at 11:35 am. An Old Lyme Road woman found the boy walking on Stratton Road by himself again. When Police arrived, the rabbi came to the house and said that his son had learned how to unlock the front door. Police advised the man to change the locks and also warned that if the child continued to get out alone they would be forced to call Child Protective Services.
Harassed: In another incident on Stratton Road a man called police on 10/12 when he felt harassed by a contractor who was demanding payment. As there is an outstanding claim to the insurance company, police advised the parties to resolve their differences through the company.
On 10/12 a Ridgedale Road woman called to complain that someone has been driving by and yelling her name while she walks her dog. This has happened several times and she does not recognize the voice or the car.
Police investigated a complaint from Adult Protective Services at a Mamaroneck Road home on 10/12. The 86 year-old resident had recently been released from the hospital and required a certified home health care aide. However, his companion fired the assigned aide. Police intervened and another aide was retained to care for the man.
Missing Mail: On 10/15 a Lee Road woman reported that someone had forwarded her mail to an unknown address without her permission. The postmaster could not provide her with the address to which her mail had been sent. Police advised her to follow up with the Postal Police and the inspector general’s office.
Locked Out: The daughter of divorced parents on Rock Creek Lane documented a civil incident on the afternoon of October 11th. She had returned to the house to collect her things but was unable to get in. Police advised her to call her father’s lawyer to make an arrangement to get her things from the house.
Garbage: Brambach Road residents called police on the afternoon of October 11 to complain that their neighbors had piles of garbage on the lawn that had been there for days. Police contacted the homeowner who said that a tenant had recently moved out and failed to pick up their debris. He agreed to take care of it.
Car on the Lawn: A Rectory Lane woman called police on the evening of 10/14 to report that a car was sitting on her front lawn. She had no idea how it got there. Police found that the car had been driven by a woman who making deliveries for Scarsdale Pharmacy. She misjudged the placement of the driveway and drove the car onto the lawn where it was stuck. Heathcote Exxon was called to remove the car from the lawn.
Animals: A bird flew into Michael’s Barbershop on Garth Road on the afternoon of 10/15 and the barber’s were not able to get it to leave. Eventually they did catch the bird and brought it to the Greenburgh Nature Center.
SVAC called police about an injured cat on East Parkway at 7 am on 101/6. The cat’s owners could not be identified and the cat could not walk. The New Rochelle Humane Society was called to pick up and treat the cat.
Scarsdale Police Report
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DWI: On the night of 10/9, police spotted a young lady driving a Honda with a flat tire on Tompkins Road near the police trailer. Given that she had a flat, the girl was driving too fast. Police followed the car and stopped her at the intersection of Kensington and Cohawney Road. The driver got out of the car and the officer noticed that she was off balance, had bloodshot eyes and the odor of alcohol on her breath. The 22 year-old Sleepy Hollow girl admitted to drinking “at least two large Oktoberfest beers” in White Plains. She failed sobriety tests and told police she got the flat tire when she ran into a curb in White Plains. She was given an Alco-Sensor test and found to have a BAC of .22%. She was charged with DWI and Aggravated DWI, given a court date and released on $250 to a relative.
Fare Dispute: At 3:25 am on 10/5, Mujibar Mia, a tax driver, called police when his passenger Danielle Williams of Garth Road refused to pay the fare. Williams was drunk. Subsequently a friend of hers appeared with a credit card and paid up.
Theft: A laptop computer was stolen from a car parked in the lot across from Overhill Road on September 30th. When the owner of the car returned she found that the computer, which had been left on the front seat of the car was missing. The woman thought she may have left the car unlocked.
On 10/4, A Southwoods Lane resident reported that items were taken out of her suitcase while she was on a Delta Airlines flight.
Fraud: On 10/6, a Sprague Road resident reported receiving numerous phone calls from someone who claimed to be from HSBC Bank. The caller was attempting to get a credit card number from her and was very aggressive. The calls came from several phone numbers which the woman gave to the police.
A Heathcote Road man received a letter from a credit card company rejecting an application for a credit card in his name – however he had not applied for the card. The application was filed at a Best Buy store in New Jersey. The man was advised to report the fraud to three major credit bureaus.
Egged: Kevin King from the Fox Meadow Tennis Club called police on the morning of October 3rd to report that the club had been egged. This was the second week in a row eggs had been thrown at the building. King also found beer cans and bottles on the property.
Gas Leak: The Con Edison Emergency Response team, the Scarsdale Fire Department, Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Department, the Scarsdale Building and Highway Departments, the White Plains Fire Department and the Scarsdale Police all responded to a gas leak on Farley Road in Greenacres at 11:30 am on 10/6. They secured the area, conducted checks of area homes to assess the gas levels and found that a gas main that runs from White Plains to Scarsdale, dating from 1928 had a major leak. They did a precautionary check of the Greenacres School but it was fine. A more limited area was sealed off while Con Edison made repairs.
Fire: The Fire and Police Departments responded to a fire on Gaylor Road at 11:45 pm on 10/9. They found the source of the fire in the garage and were able to extinguish it quickly. No serious damage occurred and it was caused by oil-based chemicals that were stored in the garage.
Runaway Car: At 3:34 on 10/4, an unoccupied 2005 Mazda was found at the intersection of Brewster and Olmstead Roads, stopped at the stop sign with no one inside. Police were looking for the car’s owner when Jonathan Hilpert who had been tutoring in the area arrived. He was looking for his car that had been parked further down Brewster Road. He suspects that his emergency brake failed and the car rolled into the intersection.
Nasty Neighbor: A Brewster Road man called police on the evening of 10/7 to report that his children were playing in his yard when a woman from a neighboring yard shouted expletives at them. He told police that this has happened several times.
A truck took down wires at the intersection of Walworth and Greenacres Avenues around noon on October 4th, and a large tree fell across Black Birch Lane at 1:30 on 10/4, narrowly missing a postal truck that was parked nearby.
