Meter Robber Arrested, Homes Burglarized and a Missing Menorah
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Meter Robber Arrested: An observant Con Edison worker helped police nab a man who had broken into, or tampered with 24 parking meters in the area of Scarsdale Avenue around 4 am on December 9th. The Con Edison worker saw a suspicious person going into and out of a parked car in the early morning hours and called the police. They found Anthony Lucido of White Plains lying down in the back seat of a tan Suburban that was parked on Scarsdale Avenue. The officer recognized Lucido immediately, as the Bronxville Police had just sent out a flyer with his picture because he was a suspect in the larceny of over 30 parking meters in Bronxville.
When questioned by police, Lucido was nervous and evasive and claimed that he had pulled over because his car had overheated on the Bronx River Parkway. Lucido offered to let the officers check his car where they found a large open bag of loose change filled with quarters, gloves and two large screwdrivers. In the trunk they found more tools. When they checked the meters on Scarsdale Avenue they found that many had been emptied.
Lucido was taken to headquarters where a background check revealed that he had 39 prior arrests. In the meantime, Scarsdale police canvassed the area and found that 24 meters had been broken into or tampered with. Lucido’s car was impounded and he was arrested for petit larceny, criminal mischief, possession of burglar tools and criminal possession of stolen property. He was arraigned before Judge Galloway at 9:30 am where bail was set at $10,000. Since Lucido could not come up with the money he was taken to Westchester County Jail where he will be held until his court date on 12/15/10.
Burglaries: Two more Scarsdale homes were entered this past week – both during the day. On Potter Road the homeowner returned from work on Monday afternoon December 6th and found that her front door was unlocked. Though the house was not tossed, two white envelopes, each containing $5,000 were missing from a dresser in the master bedroom along with jewelry valued at $16,650. When police came to the home to investigate they found a broken basement window and a rock that had been thrown through it. They determined that the suspect had entered the home through that window.
On Thursday December 9th, intruders entered a Greenacres Avenue home via a rear window that may have been unlocked. They went through the bedrooms, tossed the master bedroom and left through the back door of the house. The owner will compile as list of missing items.
Missing: On Tuesday night 12/7 a Wayside Lane woman called police to report that her blue 2009 Acura, which was parked in the loading zone on Chase Road, had been stolen. While the woman was speaking to police, another officer found the car parked in the DeCicco’s parking lot. The owner had forgotten where she parked.
A Middle School boy reported that headphones were stolen from his locker on November 30th. The Monster-Beats by Dr. Dre headphones are valued at $350 and were taken from a bag in the boy’s unlocked school locker.
Menorah Check: Police checked Chase Park numerous times this week to see if a Menorah had been erected in the park. However, they were unable to locate one and it appears that the Village did not put one up this year.
Rental Car: Police were called to the Shell Station on Scarsdale Avenue on 12/9 where an Avis representative complained that a rental car had not been returned. The woman who rented the car called the station to report she was in the hospital, but later arranged for a friend to return the car to the station.
Where's Mom? An Edgewood elementary school student called police at 12:30 pm on 12/9 to report that she was locked out of her house. Her mother did not realize that school would let out early that day. Police took the girl to the school nurse who located the girl’s mom.
Found: Fish Tails: A Hazelton Drive man called police on the morning of 12/7 to say that he found five small dead fish on his front walkway.
At DeCicco’s on East Parkway the owner reported that someone had turned off two water valves that supply water to cool the stores freezers on 12/3. Though no damage occurred to the store’s freezers or merchandise, Mr. DeCicco wanted to file a report.
On 12/9 a Park Road woman reported that she was almost the victim of identity theft when someone tried to open up new accounts in her husband’s name at Citibank and Bank of America and transfer $80,000 from her existing accounts into the fraudulent accounts. Fortunately both banks contacted her before making the transfers and she was able to stop them.
Deer Here: At 11 pm on Friday night 12/10 a Brite Avenue man was driving on Heathcote Road near the Scarsdale Medical Center when he stepped on his brakes to avoid hitting a deer in the road. While he was braking to miss the first deer, another deer ran into the road and struck the man’s 2004 Acura. The second deer fled and the driver was not injured.
Fire: A utility truck struck a power line at 50 Tompkins Road at 1 pm on 12/9 and caused a fire that spread to the wires along Fenimore Road. Fenimore Road was closed between Post and Brewster Road while the Scarsdale Fire Department and Con Edison put out the flames.
The Fire Department and Con Edison entered four houses on Carthage and Fayette Roads on the afternoon of 12/10 to investigate for a potential gas leak. They entered through unlocked windows and a garage door and left notices for residents advising them that their homes had been entered.
Edgemont: On the morning of 12/7 the Principal of Seely Place School called police to report that she saw a suspicious car parked on Glendale Place. She had been alerted to look out for a car with the same license plate number in an email from a parent who had seen the occupant opening car doors in the area. The Principal and the School Custodian were about to approach the man in the car, when he made eye contact with them and drove away. The man was driving a 2009 gray Dodge Charger with license plate number FBG3471. Police identified the plate owner as Thomas Delano of White Plains and he is described as a white male in his 30’s with a stocky build, short-cropped hair, neatly dressed in a black leather jacket.
On Chedworth Road in Scarsdale on the night of 12/7 the resident returned from work at 10:50 pm and saw a man walk up his driveway and disappear into the backyard. A neighbor also saw a van pull up and a woman getting out with take out food.
Another Tragic Loss in Scarsdale
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A mother’s suicide on Tuesday has left Scarsdale searching for answers as to why four people in the community have taken their own lives (one unconfirmed) in the past seven weeks. The mother of two jumped from the Tappan Zee Bridge, leaving grief-stricken children, parents, friends and neighbors seeking to explain the inexplicable.
Lynne Spencer was a former school psychologist and the mother of a fourth grader at Heathcote Elementary School and a sophomore at Scarsdale High School. According to the Journal News Spencer drove her Toyota Highlander onto the bridge around noon on Tuesday, got out, and jumped 150 feet into the Hudson River. Miraculously a construction crew that was under the bridge to sandblast one of the piers saw her fall about 50 feet in front of them. Three men from the crew jumped into a boat and pulled Spencer out of the water where she was floating face down.
Though she was unconscious she was still alive and one of the men performed CPR on her until she began to breathe. She was treated by paramedics and EMT’s and taken to Nyack Hospital where she later died from internal trauma. Spencer was remembered by a Dunham Road neighbor who said, “Lynne was a gracious, warm and lovely person. We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss.”
Funeral services will be held at Hitchcock Presbyterian Church on Greenacres Avenue in Scarsdale on Saturday, December 4 at 11 am.
Her death has shaken a community already in mourning over the recent loss of a beloved elementary school teacher right before Thanksgiving and a member of the high school staff in October. In addition, a well-known shopkeeper attempted to take his own life in his Scarsdale Village store on October 23 and later died as a result. All the victims were parents, compounding the tragic nature of their deaths. By all accounts Scarsdale is a very supportive community that prides itself on its spirit of volunteerism. The Scarsdale and Edgemont Family Counseling Service provides free support to those in need, and in a town with abundant resources it is baffling why these tragedies could not have been averted.
There is no known link between the deaths, though clusters of suicides have been documented elsewhere. We spoke to several mental health experts to learn more about possible causes and were told that there are no easy answers, though depression, illness, divorce and economic instability are known to be contributing factors. According to psychiatrists, the advent of the holiday season can also trigger depression and exacerbate family issues.
The school was quick to react and communicate with parents and students. In a thoughtful letter to district parents, Superintendent Michael McGill wrote,
“This is my thirty-ninth year as a school superintendent or headmaster. In all that period, I can't remember a sequence of tragedies similar to the one that's shaken our schools and the broader community within the last few weeks. Over the last month, we've experienced the consequences of the darkest of emotions. At the same time, we've witnessed the best of human caring and resilience. The strength of our students, faculty, parents and other community members has been exemplary.....Unavoidably, times like these raise difficult questions to which nobody has answers, and they necessarily lay bare feelings of vulnerability. A number of people, including some mental health professionals, have asked how they could help the schools help students through this trial.”
He goes on to let parents know what is being done at the schools to help the children through this crisis:
“Each school has a trained intervention team that coordinates support services. The teams draw on the expertise of external psychiatric and/or psychological specialists, and their approaches have been developed in collaboration with mental health professionals. I hope you'll be reassured to know that principals, counselors, deans, youth workers, psychologists and faculty at large are all in communication about students who may benefit from special attention; school personnel are in touch with those youngsters and their families, where appropriate; and staff will take added measures as necessary.”
It is natural for anyone who had interactions with the victims to wonder if they missed a sign or if they could have helped. What is so puzzling is that there are often no signs beforehand that someone is contemplating taking his or her own life.
However, Scarsdale School Psychologist Ernie Collabolletta, (721-2563) has provided the following list of signs to look for -- and we offer it here for your information:
- Excessive sadness or moodiness: Long-lasting sadness and mood swings can be symptoms of depression, a major risk factor for suicide
- Sudden calmness: Suddenly becoming calm after a period of depression or moodiness can be a sign that the person has made a decision to end his or her life
- Withdrawal: Choosing to be alone and avoiding friends or social activities also are possible symptoms of depression. This includes the loss of interest or pleasure in activities the person previously enjoyed.
- Changes in personality or appearance: A person who is considering suicide might exhibit a change in attitude or behavior, such as speaking or moving with unusual speed or slowness. In addition, the person might suddenly become less concerned about his or her personal appearance.
Last, Collabolletta provided the following list of resources and we encourage you to keep these in mind for anyone in need:
- Scarsdale and Edgemont Family Counseling Service (723-3281)
- The Bereavement Center of Westchester (961-2818)
- Westchester Jewish Community Services (761-0600 x 207)
- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a free, 24-hour hotline is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Your call will be routed to the nearest crisis center.
Another Week Another Burglary
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Another week and another breakin. This one was on Crossway during the day on 11/23. The thieves entered the house by prying open a bathroom window in the back of the house. They rummaged through the master bedroom and closets and stole $500 in cash from a night table drawer. Though they went through a second bedroom, the medicine cabinet in the bathroom as well as cabinets in the living room and office, nothing else was stolen. It is believed they left through a rear sliding door.
Suspicious: At 1:16 am on 11/23 a private security man who was watching a Cushman Road home reported three suspicious people to the Scarsdale Police. Two men dressed in dark clothing and hoodies and a woman were spotted when the two men started to walk up the driveway of the house. When they were stopped, the woman claimed she was “just showing her two friends this house.” The two men appeared to be nervous and concealed their faces. The suspects got back into their car and drove away. Using the license plate number of the car, White Plains police tracked the car owners address and found that there was a criminal history for the occupants of the home. Police searched the area but were unable to find the car.
Death: Irving Kestenbaum, age 94 of Palmer Avenue passed away at 11:18 pm on November 24th. A home health care aide discovered that Mr. Kestenbaum had died and reported the death to his son, Michael Kestenbaum.
Disputes: A Nelson Road woman complained that she was being harassed by another woman -- with whom she once had a relationship. The harasser was sending her aggressive and controlling text message, demanding to see her and threatening to come to her home and advise her family about their relationship. She also contacted the complainants’ son on Facebook to tell him about her relationship with his mother. Police advised her to keep all communications on a disc and she charged the offender with aggravated harassment.
At 11:45 am on 11/22 police were called about a dispute between a Visiting Nurse and a potential client on Mamaroneck Road who needs services. There was no fight.
Carol Tekel of Suffern came to a Tunstall Road home on 11/23 to ask for money and called police claiming that the resident punched her. However, when police arrived they found that Ms. Tekel was trying to extort money from the Scarsdale resident to help her “get back on her feet.” The Scarsdale resident pushed her away from the front door, as he did not want to give her additional money and wanted her to leave.
A Manhattan man came to police on 11/25 to complain that his wife would not permit him to pick up his children and limited his visit to three hours. He called his attorney and wanted to document the incident.
Kids: Police were called to break up a large group of youths at the Edgewood School at 11:51 pm on 11/23. Police found a group of college freshman who were home for Thanksgiving and the students agreed to leave the school. Another group of noisy kids was reported at the corner of Oxford and Greendale Roads at 12:29 on 11/24.
At 2 am on 11/24, police were called when four kids were sitting in a car playing loud music. Police told the kids to go home.
More noise was reported on Jefferson Road at 2 am on 11/25. Police went to the house where people were congregated outside and asked the resident to move the party inside.
At 10:40 pm on 11/24 police found three boys sitting in a car at the entrance to Corell Park. Police conducted a motor vehicle stop and smelled marijuana, but they did not find any illegal substances in the car.
Police were called about a fight on Boulevard at 12:45 am on 11/28. A Scarsdale boy was having a verbal dispute with his ex-girlfriend who did not want to see him anymore. When police arrived, the boy agreed not to contact the girl and he was released to his parents.
Lost: A Richbell Road woman came to police headquarters on the morning of 11/22 to report that someone took her $40,000 diamond earrings.
A White Plains woman called police at 8 pm on 11/22 to report that she lost her pocketbook and briefcase when she took a Scarsdale taxicab to her home in White Plains from the station. The dispatcher had the cab driver check the car
But she did not find the missing items. Police advised the woman to cancel her credit cards and follow up with motor vehicles. However, at 11:04 pm the woman called back to say that both her purse and briefcase had been returned to her.
Found: A set of keys on an orange and blue New York Knicks lanyard was found on Aspen Road. Keys to an Acura were attached. The keys were turned into police on the night of 11/26.
Park Road residents found construction materials around their pool on 11/23. They asked for additional ride-bys to their home.
Accidents: On Monday morning 11/29, a 26 year-old White Plains woman lost control of her 1996 Pontiac when she was driving south on the Post Road. She attempted to change lanes near Huntington, and instead hit a pole with a stop light. She damaged the pole, the light and a street sign and was injured. The Post Road had to be closed, her car was towed and police, the fire department and SCARVAC were called. She was taken to White Plains hospital for treatment and issued a summons for driving without a license. As it was 7:57 am traffic was snared.
A Dickel Road boy was backing a 2010 Lexus out of the driveway when he hit the gas pedal and backed into a tree at 1 am on 12/28.
Concetta Ambrose, age 64 of White Plains was hit by a car as she was crossing the street at the intersection of Freightway and Garth Road. The woman’s foot was hit and cut and she was taken to White Plains hospital. The driver did not stop.
A crossing guard at the Edgewood School reported that a car almost ran him over at noon on 11/24. Police gave the driver a summons for disobeying traffic control.
Animals: A Shawnee Road woman was out walking her dog on the afternoon of 11/25 when another dog that was not on his leash bit her dog. Police spoke to the owner of the dog who was not on the leash and he was very apologetic. They warned the man that if he did not keep the dog on a leash he would be given a summons.
A limping coyote was reported at 159 Brite Avenue at 8:30 am on 11/23.
From the Greenburgh Police:
Busted: Police noticed something suspicious about a car that was parked at a gas station at 775 South Central Park Avenue on 11/26 at 10 pm. Police approached the Toyota 4Runner and ordered the occupants out of the car. Inside the car, police found a hypodermic needed, and three glassine envelopes containing heroin. A 23 year-old man from Ossining, a 29 year-old man from Pennsylvania and a 19 year-old girl from Cortlandt Manor were taken to headquarters and arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substance and the hypodermic needle.
Thefts: An unidentified man came into Fantastic Sams barbershop on Central Avenue on the evening of 11/22 and snatched $135 from the register as the manager was making change. The man was described to be in his early twenties, approximately 150 pounds, with a black beard and he was wearing a ski hat, black hooded sweatshirt and jeans. Police were unable to locate him.
On 11/27 residents of Robin Hill Road in Scarsdale reported that a laptop computer was stolen from their dining room table while they were away for Thanksgiving. Their son had been staying at the house and had friends coming in and out of the house during the weekend.
Disputes: A Hartsdale woman got into a fight with man who was unloading boxes at her apartment building on High Point Drive at 11 pm on 11/23. When the woman found the outside door propped open she closed it and the man yelled at her saying “Can’t you see I am unloading boxes here?” The man called her a “Fxxxx bitch” and eventually rode off in a black Mercedes Benz truck. The woman did not recognize man and wondered if he was a resident.
On 11/23, Leo Kaden, age 82 of Hartsdale reported being harassed by a former business associate who wanted Kaden to settle a court case. When Kaden refused, the man threatened Kaden’s life and family.
Jorges Borges of Greenwich had a fight with Amir Eatemadpour of Scarsdale when Borges went to Eatemadpour’s Central Avenue office to collect an overdue payment on the afternoon of 11/27. Eatemadpour was not happy with the work and refused to pay in full. The two men had a verbal dispute, which ended up in a physical fight. As a result, Borges tripped and cut his hand.
Accidents: A metal pulley broke free from a telephone pole at the intersection of Hartsdale and Dobbs Ferry Roads at 10 pm on 11/23. A Carmel man was driving his Jetta there when it was suddenly hit by the swinging pulley. The pulley caused a large dent to the hood of the car and damaged the driver’s side mirror. The telephone pole was located in an area that is currently undergoing work by a Con Ed subcontractor.
On the afternoon of 11/28 a Sleepy’s delivery truck damaged the rear exit lever of the gate at 15 Club House Lane in Hartsdale. Sleepy’s said they would investigate with the truck company with whom they contract to make deliveries.
Scarsdale Man Indicted for Grand Larceny
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According to the Journal News , Frank Schwall, age 46 of Mamaroneck Road in Scarsdale was indicted for second and third degree larceny for embezzling tens of thousands of dollars for the development of an indoor training center for Little League aged children. He created Big Apple Baseball LLC in 2006 with the intent of building a new facility in Port Chester but put the donations in his own account instead.
Schwall was indicted in Westchester County Court on November 24 for a host of charges, including second and third degree grand larceny; two counts of second degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, first degree falsifying business records, first degree offering a false instrument for filing, false tax returns and one count of failure to file a return in violation of New York State Tax Law.
Schwall pleaded not guilty and is represented by Andrew Proto of the White Plains firm Riebling, Proto and Sachs. He maintains that he is innocent and is free on $10,000 bail. He could face up to 15 years in prison if he is convicted for grand larceny in connection with a 2005 transaction in which he misrepresented his work status to get a home-equity line of credit.
Sales to Underage Drinkers and a Car in the Stream
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A Tompkins Road man and his 15 year-old daughter were parked in the gravel lot of Scarsdale High School in their 2002 Toyota Suburban on the afternoon of 11/21. The girl inadvertently put the car in drive and it surged forward, hit a sign and then rolled into the stream.
On 11/20 a Saxon Woods Road man was backing his 2005 Toyota Camry out of a driveway at 43 Palmer Road when the front end of the car fell into a drainage ditch. R&D Towing was called to pull the car out of the ditch.
A Tuckahoe man riding his bike west on Church Lane says a car hit him at 8:44 am on November 16. The car was a taxi owned by the Jefferson Cab Company and the driver of the cab denied hitting the biker, who complained of pain and requested help from SVAC. However, when the ambulance arrived, the biker refused treatment.
Unsafe Driver: The adult daughters of a 90 year-old Birchall Drive woman came to police on 11/18 to report that they were taking away their mother’s 2000 Mercedes convertible and cancelling her driver’s license. The elderly woman had three accidents in the last two months and failed a recent road test.
Identity Theft: A Palmer Avenue woman reported that someone made $68.09 in purchases from a pornographic website called Naked.com sometime between October 14 and November 18. The person used the woman’s professional name to make the purchases.
Stolen: A Brite Avenue woman locked her bike to a rack on East Parkway on the morning of November 15th. When she returned at 6 pm her 21-speed hybrid bike, valued at $500 and her combination lock were gone.
Lost: A 15 year old Scarsdale boy lost a 22” gold link chain and cross near the school and his mother came to police to report the missing necklace.
Found: The Highway Department found a Motorola radio in a leaf pile at the corner of Barry and Tunstall Roads on November 15th. It turned out to belong to Con Edison and they came to headquarters to retrieve it.
Noise: Police received a call about noisy kids in the stairwell of CVS on Popham Road at 11 pm on November 19th. They said they were waiting for their parents to pick them up and wanted to stay warm. They were told to leave the area.
Coyotes were reported at Corell Park at 10:40 am on 11/21 and in the yard of a Horseguard Lane home at 2:20 on 11/21.
From the Greenburgh Police: The Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task Force caught several establishments selling and serving liquor to underage buyers last week. On the night of 11/18, an underage agent of the Task Force purchased liquor from the Hartsdale Wine store at 391 North Central Avenue in Hartsdale. Since the store sold the underage man the liquor the store employee was issued a court appearance ticket for the unauthorized sale of alcoholic beverages to a minor. A similar incident occurred at Morton Williams on Central Avenue on 11/18 where alcohol was sold to an underage agent and an appearance ticket was issued. On the night of 11/19, an underage Task Force member was served a drink at The Cabin on Knollwood Road and the restaurant and the bartender were issued appearance tickets.
Drunk Drivers: Irvin Elias of Paramus New Jersey was arrested for driving while intoxicated on West Hartsdale Avenue on the evening of 11/15. Elias, age 56 was stopped for erratic driving and admitted to drinking beer at the Candlelight and taking a Xanax. His 2005 Ford Taurus was impounded.
At 1:45 am on 11/19 Paul Lynch of White Plains was stopped in his car on Central Avenue after he crossed the yellow line into the oncoming lane of traffic. He failed sobriety tests and was arrested and taken to headquarters where he was found to have a blood alcohol level of .29%.
Pedestrian Hit: Michael Chen, age 39 of Fort Hill Road Scarsdale, was hit by the passenger side view mirror of a car around 7 pm on 11/17. He had just gotten off the bus and was walking home when the car struck his left hip and elbow. The driver did not stop.
On the night of 11/17, a security officers at Marshalls reported that three men were shopping in the store for about an hour when a cab pulled up and the three fled the store with merchandise still on it’s hangers. The Marshall’s employees only realized what happened when the unpaid merchandise activated the door sensors.
Arrest: A 17 year-old Woodlands High School boy was found drinking with another boy behind TJ Maxx on Central Avenue on the afternoon of 11/19. Police found the boy’s friend semi-conscious due to overconsumption. He was taken to White Plains Hospital for treatment. The Woodlands High School student was found with a small bag of marijuana and he was arrested for unlawful possession.
