Busts and Arson in the Weekly Police Report
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From the Scarsdale Police: Busted: At 1:35 am on 5/28 police issued a summons to an unoccupied car that was parked illegally on Brite Avenue near Butler Road. While writing the ticket the officer noticed two small bags of marijuana on the back seat of the car. When the patrolman placed the ticket on the car he noticed the car was warm. The Officer called for additional policemen to search the area. They did not find anyone but at 2:00 am two boys were dropped off and got into the car. Police made a traffic stop and identified the occupants as two 19 year-old Scarsdale boys. One boy admitted to buying the marijuana earlier in the night in White Plains for $50. The boy who owned the marijuana was placed under arrest and taken to Police Headquarters. He was released and a court date was set for June 9th.
Just after midnight on 5/30, police on the lookout for car thieves spotted a parked car on Innes Road near the entrance to the Heathcote School. As police approached it, the car drove away. The officer stopped the car at Palmer Avenue and Wynmoor Road and when the driver rolled down the window, the odor of marijuana emerged. The occupants produced a small bag of marijuana and said it belonged to the three of them. The car was occupied by three Scarsdale boys recently returned from their freshman year of college. The boys were placed under arrest for unlawful possession of marijuana, handcuffed and searched. They were taken to the police trailer where they were placed in the holding cell and advised of their rights. The seized substance was tested and positively identified as marijuana. The boys were released and a court date was set for June 9th.
Car Break-ins Continue: Police believe there are two thieves at work in the streak of car break-ins – one who breaks car windows to seize possessions and another who looks for unlocked cars and enters them without doing any damage.
A number of cars were unlawfully entered in Fox Meadow and Greenacres this past week, and though personal items were taken, the cars were not damaged.
During the night of 5/26-5/27 thieves entered an unlocked car parked on Brite Avenue in Fox Meadow and took $80 in cash, a credit card and a license from the wallet of a purse found inside. Neither the wallet nor the purse was taken. On Ogden Road, another unlocked car was entered and searched, though nothing was taken.
That same evening, an unlocked Lexus, parked in the driveway of a Brite Avenue home in Greenacres was entered. Missing was loose change, the car’s registration and insurance card. A few doors down, another car on Brite Avenue in Greenacres was also entered but again, nothing was taken. On Ridgecrest North, a Honda and a Toyota were entered and money was taken. The following night, an unlocked Toyota was entered on Dobbs Terrace and a GPS device and change were taken.
On May 31 a car parked in the lot at Boulder Brook Field was vandalized between noon and 3:15 pm while the owner was at the pool. A rear window was broken and the woman's purse and credit cards were stolen. In addition on the afternoon of Memorial Day a Connecticut man reported that his car had been egged while parked on Bradley Road. The man suspected that friends of his girlfriend may have been the culprits.
The car of a painter working on Sage Terrace was damaged on the afternoon of 5/28. Mr. Avila-Morales reported that he parked his Mitsubishi Montero on Brewster Road while he worked and when he returned at 5:30 pm the rear passenger window was shattered. He noticed that landscapers were working nearby and suspects that a rock thrown from a lawn mower may have broken the window.
Fights! A fight broke out at 2:25 am on May 25th on Colonial Road in Scarsdale. Though there are several versions of the story it appears that Kory Hutchinson, age 26, was on his front lawn with two Mt. Vernon residents, Julieann and Frank Cardillo. Five boys passed by in a Honda Pilot and a physical altercation occurred. One of the boys in the car was struck in the head with a bottle held by Hutchinson. Police broke up the fight and the boy who was hit with the bottle refused treatment while Hutchinson requested transport to White Plains Hospital, complaining of a sore neck. The following afternoon at 2:02 pm, two of the boys involved in the previous night’s incident ran into each other outside the 7-11 on Garth Road and began to argue and push each another. Police calmed them down and advised them to stop.
Another dispute broke out near La Dentelliere on 5/25 at 5:23. The two people had a car accident the previous day and were arguing. Police asked the two to resolve the dispute via their insurance companies.
Attempted Burglary: An Overhill Road woman received a call from her alarm company when the basement door sensor was activated . She returned home and found the basement door open and the latch damaged. She checked the house but did not find any signs that it had been entered. Police believe the alarm may have scared off the suspects.
Noisy Kids: Warm weather brought out the kids: On Monday night 5/24 police found a small group of kids playing basketball at 10 pm. The youths were advised that nobody is allowed on school grounds after 9PM. They left the area without incident. Later than night, Potter Road residents reported noisy kids on Hyatt Field. They also left when police arrived. At 10:50 pm on May 26th, Nelson Road residents reported kids at Edgewood School, who also left the scene when asked.
At 10 pm on May 30th, a large group was reported to be hanging out on George Field. Police asked them to leave and they did so without incident.
Solicitor Summoned: On the afternoon of 5/25 a Madison Road woman called police to say that a solicitor walked up her driveway and was talking with her daughter who was playing in the backyard. About an hour later, police found Rahman Muhammad of Illinois who claimed to be an employee of Midwest Clearing Inc. As he did not have a permit to solicit, he was issued a summons.
Lost: On the morning of May 26th a disoriented woman was reported walking on Fox Meadow Road. By the time police found her, she had make her way home to Elm Road.
Animals: On the afternoon of 5/26 a Bradford Road woman reported that a vicious dog approached her while she was walking her dog on Broadmoor Road. Though neither she nor her dog were bitten, she did want to report the incident.
Later that afternoon a Sheldrake Road woman reported that her babysitter had been harassed while she was walking the dog. The dog barked and someone holding a gardening tool yelled, “don’t bark at me or I will kill you.”
A Brewster Road woman ran over a cat on Morris Lane on the afternoon of 5/27 when the fray and white cat ran in front of her car. The cat had no collar so police were unable to identify the owners.
Water: Innes Road residents reported that neighbors were draining a pool onto the field at Heathcote School on the afternoon of 5/28. Police spoke to the pool owners who were not aware of restrictions regarding pool drainage.
Mischief: Roller bladders shattered a glass table on Oak Lane that had been placed outside for pick up by Scarsdale sanitation on the afternoon of 5/29, Police removed the glass from the road but were unable to locate the kids.
Fire in the Dryer: A clothes dryer, located in the basement of a Huntington Road home caught on fire on the night of 5/29. The Fire Department and Con Edison were called and the street was closed in front of the house. Smoke was coming up from the basement into the kitchen above and volunteer firemen were summoned. Firemen put out the blaze using a dry chemical extinguisher and the gas line to the dryer was shut off. Firemen used positive pressure ventilation to evacuate the smoke from the house. Firemen found lint buildup in the motor compartment of the dryer that had ignited and burned. There was extensive smoke damage to the house and the residents had to move out while the house was thoroughly cleaned.
From the Greenburgh Police
Arson: Old Sprain Road residents awoke at 4 am on Saturday 5/29 to find their two cars on fire. The Hartsdale Fire Department was called to extinguish the flames. Both cars were damaged. Police canvassed the area for suspects but none were found. A neighbor with a video camera promised to check the recording to see if suspects could be identified.
Car thieves were at work in Edgemont where two cars on Clubway were entered during the night of 5/26-5/27. One resident found that overnight someone had entered her 2007 Ford Edge and taken her GPS, a pair of sunglasses and some change totaling $5.00. There was no sign of damage to her car. Also on Clubway an unlocked 2009 White Infiniti was entered and $460 in property was stolen.
On Columbia Avenue in Hartsdale a similar incident occurred on the night of 5/27 – 5/28. A green Porsche and a red Toyota Camry were entered and $25.00 in quarters and a radar detector were taken. There was no damage to the cars.
Egged: A house and two Lincoln Town Cars were egged on Secor Road in Hartsdale on the night of 5/29-5/30. That same night two more cars, a Ford Explorer and a Lexus, were egged on Whittier Street in Hartsdale.
Another Bust: At 3:30 am on 5/28 police found a 2005 Jeep parked in the upper rear lot of 450 South Central Avenue. The car was surrounded by men and the driver was sitting in his car with the door open. He said he had misplaced his keys and his friends were helping him find them. While there, police noticed a bag of marijuana on the floorboard of the car. The 18 year-old Scarsdale driver was placed under arrest and a search revealed 12 white pills in his pocket. The marijuana was positively identified and the pills were identified as meprobamate, which is a prescription drug. The Scarsdale boy was booked, processed and released to his mother on $150 bail, and the car was towed and impounded.
On the night of 5/28 kids were spotted on the roof of the Greenville School at 10:40 pm. When police arrived the kids fled toward the back of the school.
Five Corners Goes Italian
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Good news – the owners of the Heathcote Tavern Building at 2-4 Weaver Street say that they have found a tenant to open an Italian restaurant on the site. According to information communicated at the Trustees Law Committee, the new tenants are Italian and will open a restaurant called Apulia, provided that the Village renews the lease for the Village-owned driveway that leads to the Tavern parking lot.
The five-year lease for the driveway expired in May and Developer Frederick Fish has requested a 15-year lease renewal.
Members of the Heathcote Five Corners Coalition have expressed their concern about the Village’s lack of communication with residents about the lease proposal and have asked the Village to provide details for review. The Coalition also believes that it is not in the best interest of the Village to enter into a longer-term lease with different restrictions than the former 5-year year provided to Fish. In a letter to the Mayor and Trustees, the Coalition says:
Even rolling over the Lease on the same terms as the current lease does not itself achieve the stated objectives of the Village with respect to development at 2-4 Weaver Street (including the preservation of the Tavern and reducing traffic entering and entering on Weaver Street from the area near the dance studio), except to the limited extent that the current use restrictions require operation of a restaurant and cocktail lounge under the terms of the current lease.
Edgemont Approves Budget and Elects the SBNC Endorsed Slate to Board
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Edgemont voters approved the 2010-11 school budget by a margin of 77.5% to 22.5%, with 764 in favor and 222 opposed. Edgemont’s margin of approval is believed to be the highest rate of approval by any school district in Westchester County.
The budget that voters approved called for an increase in spending of 1.1% but, because of reduced property tax assessments, required a tax increase of 2.5%. Nonetheless, the hikes in Edgemont were the second lowest in twenty years and capped a five-year financial turnaround for the district, which has had single digit increases every year since 2006. Unlike most school districts in the area facing tough economic times, Edgemont was not required to lay off any personnel or cut programs this year.
Edgemont elected the entire slate recommended by its School Board Nominating Committee to the Board of Education. Elected to three-year terms were David Chao, Thomas McCormack, and David Stern. Elected to fill the remaining two years on Allan Pepper’s term was Gerald Stoughton.
Former Board president Chao was re-elected to the Board with 740 votes. He is an Edgemont alumnus who was part of the leadership team that led the district’s financial turnaround. Chao, a graduate of Dartmouth, is a professional financial investor and advisor.
McCormack, a corporate litigator in Manhattan with Chadbourne and Park, was re-elected to a second three year term. He received the second highest vote total, with 710 votes. McCormack has degrees from Stanford and Cornell.
Stern was elected with 689 votes. He is also an Edgemont alumnus, and the younger brother of Sarah Stern, the former board president who led the district’s financial recovery. Stern holds business degrees from Yale and is a management consultant. Stern’s mother, Betsy Stern, is also a former member of the board and served as its president in the 1980s.
Stoughton, a financial planner with the Port Authority of New York, was re-elected with 660 votes. Stoughton holds degrees from Columbia and Harvard.
Arrests, Thefts and Drunks from the Police
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Passed out on Walworth: A Walworth Avenue woman found two drunk men passed out on her lawn on Monday afternoon 5/24 at 3 pm. Not knowing whether they were sick or just asleep, the woman approached the two and they were unresponsive. The men, wearing undershirts and jeans appeared to be Hispanic and 20-30 years old. She called the police and six police vehicles sped to the scene, including an ambulance. When the men came to, one said, “it’s my birthday.” The two had apparently been out celebrating, drank too much and lay down to nap on their way home. SCARVAC took them to White Plains hospital for observation. Residents have noticed increased foot traffic on Walworth Avenue to and from White Plains.
Arrests: A Mt. Vernon man was chased down and arrested after he attempted to cash a fraudulent $4,500 check at TD North Bank on Central Avenue on Monday May 24 at 4:30. The man, who was identified as Winston A. Foster, age 28 of Bell Avenue in Mt. Vernon, presented a check for $4,500 to the teller. She became suspicious when she learned that the customer had opened the account at a TD North branch in the Bronx earlier that same day. Bank employees stalled the transaction while they called the police.
Foster got nervous and quickly left the bank where he was confronted by Officer Erika Daniels of the Greenburgh Police Department. The suspect ran but was followed by Daniels and a good Samaritan named Dante Gonzales. In the struggle to capture Winston, Officer Daniels broke her leg and was taken to Westchester Medical Center where she was treated and released.
Foster was charged with:
- Forgery in the 2nd degree, a class D felony
- Assault in the 2nd degree for injuring Daniels
- Resisting Arrest
He is currently in the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla and is due on Greenburgh Court on June 1st.
Anthony Turturro of Pompano Beach, Florida was stopped by police when he was driving 50mph on Fenimore Road at 10:30 pm on 5/20. He was found to be driving with a suspended Florida license. A check also revealed that his NYS driving privileges had been revoked for a DWI and failing to pay an assessment. The man was arrested, released on $60 cash bail and his car was impounded.
Car Break-ins:
A rash of car break-ins were reported. Similar break-ins have occurred in Mamaroneck and police believe all these incidents are the work of the same suspect who remains at large.
Two incidents occurred in the parking lot of the Scarsdale Pool between 5:30 and 8:00 pm on 5/19. The front passenger window of a 2008 Toyota Sienna was broken and the owner’s purse was stolen, along with credit cards, a checkbook, a driver’s license and keys. Police found a half-empty beer bottle near the car. Also that evening, the front passenger window of a 2009 Toyota was broken and a wallet was stolen from a woman’s purse. Taken were $100 in cash, credit cards, a driver’s license, gift cards, and personal checks.
At 6 pm on 5/21 an Edgewood woman’s red Honda Pilot was parked at the Quaker Ridge School while she watched a game. The passenger side window was broken and her bag was taken with her wallet, blackberry, identification and credit cards. A bus driver, who was parked in the lot said the suspect asked him for a cigarette before breaking into the car. He described the man as white, 20-30 years old, 5’10” -5’11”, about 170 pounds with an average build. He had short brown hair and was wearing a baseball cap, a white t-shirt and plaid shorts.
During the night of 5/19- 5/20 the driver’s side window of a BMW, parked in the driveway of a Stonewall Lane home was broken. Damage to the car was valued at $500 and $3,170 in property was taken from inside the car. While looking around the area, police recovered some of the stolen items from neighboring lawns. They found bags, gym clothing, surgical loops and lamps and paperwork. That same night, Mamaroneck police reported similar car break-ins on Marlbourne Lane and Old Mamaroneck Road.
Stolen Bikes: A trek bicycle, valued at $2,000 was stolen on the afternoon of 5/18 when it was leaning against the store window of The Dark Horse on Harwood Court in Scarsdale Village. Another black trek mountain bike, valued at $500 was stolen from a bike rack on Depot Place on the morning of 5/20.
Warmer weather is bringing in renewed complaints from feuding neighbors. Richbell Road residents called police on the morning of 5-17 to report loud music coming from their neighbor’s property. The caller believes her neighbor is playing the music as a form of harassment due to a dispute over a property line.
A Corell Road woman anticipated trouble when she was firing her nanny and asked police to standby on the afternoon of 5-17. However when she returned home she found that the nanny had packed her belongings and left without an incident.
Solicitors: An elderly man appeared at the door of a Bradford Road home on the afternoon of 5/17. He was not wearing a badge or an id and left the premises before the police arrived. Also on Saturday, solicitors were reported on Murray Hill Road, and Sheldrake Road and later that evening on White Birch Lane.
Fights: On the morning of 5/19 Metro North called Scarsdale police to intervene in a possible assault in progress on the platform of the Scarsdale Train Station. Witnesses reported that two men were fighting but they had already boarded a southbound train.
A caller reported that two women were walking a stroller on the Scarsdale High School track around noon on 5-19. Police spoke to the women with the stroller, and even though it was not clear whether strollers are permitted on the track, the women decided to leave.
Another dispute also occurred at the track at noon. Two women who were walking the track alleged that another walker made rude comments to them, and as they got into their car the woman said, “"It's an abomination. You're gonna pay for this, bigtime!" The walkers felt threatened and unsettled and wanted to report the incident to the police.
At 5:30 on 5/19 a verbal dispute broke out between two drivers at the intersection of East Parkway and Spencer Place. One driver asserted that the fight started when the other driver gave him the finger.
On the night of 5-19 police investigated a report of a drunk driver on Mamaroneck Road at Brookby Road. They interviewed the driver who said that her cell phone had fallen, and her car swerved when she reached down to retrieve the phone.
On 5/20 Mrs. Zuo of Scarsdale came to headquarters to report that an unknown man called her home looking for her daughter. The man claimed that he obtained her daughter’s personal information, including her name, address, and phone number from the hard drive of her discarded computer and he offered to copy the files and either e-mail them to her or arrange a meeting so she could pick them up. The old computer had been left at the Scarsdale Sanitation facility approximately two weeks ago so that it could be recycled. The man refused to explain how he obtained the computer and did not leave his name or phone number. Mrs. Zuo contacted the Sanitation Department and was advised that they would investigate the incident.
An Elmdorf Drive woman called police on 5/20 to say that her home alarm had gone off and the previous day and her wallet had been stolen. Police came by, checked the house and found no evidence of criminal activity.
Locked Out: A Wayside Road resident locked herself out of her house at 8:30 am on 5/21. The Fire Department was able to get in through an unlocked window and let her back in.
Fooled: Andrew Greenberg of Freightway Classy Consignments reported that he was sold counterfeit silver coins. Greenberg reported that he paid $250 for what he believed were “old silver coins,” but later found out from a coin dealer in White Plains that the coins were copies.
Gone: A Quaker Ride woman came to Police Headquarters on 5-21 to report that her daughter was missing on the afternoon of 5/20. The girl had recently been released from The Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry. Due to this incident a probation officer arrested the girl and returned her to The Children’s Village.
Yuck! A Black Birch man and his daughter, parked in front of their home on Sunday afternoon received a nasty surprise. Two men in an old blue car passed by and hurled an open plastic bottle filled with urine at their car. The car sped away and police were unable to locate the suspects.
Parties: Police received a report of a loud party on Gorham Road around midnight on May 20th. Upon arrival, police found people outside playing music. The homeowner explained that it was his daughter's birthday and she had invited some friends over to celebrate.
In addition on Thursday night May 20th there were numerous noise complaints – at 9:47 pm kids were found at the Edgewood School, at 10:37 pm there was loud music coming from Saxon Woods Golf Course and at 11:15 pm, there was a report of kids hanging out at the Fox Meadow School.
On 5/21 police were called at 11:20 pm to investigate youths drinking on Cooper Road. Police found that the adult residents were home supervising the gathering and no alcohol was found.
At 11:30 pm on May 22 Police were called to Greenacres Avenue to investigate a noise complaint. When they arrived, numerous kids fled on foot and police found a few beer cans in the backyard. Police spoke to the 17 year-old girl who lives there who said that she had invited a few friends over but other uninvited guests had shown up as well. She refused to let them in. A half hour later there was another report of noisy kids at the Fox Meadow School.
Found: A Seiko watch was found at the Scarsdale Middle School on May 18th. A voter turned in the watch to the election staff during the school board and budget vote.
Budget and Board Vote Today
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Both the candidates and representatives of Friends of Slate 2010 were out in force today, seeking to draw residents to the booths to vote in Scarsdale’s first contested School Board election in recent memory.
At the Scarsdale Train Station, both Suzanne Seiden, the candidate chosen by the School Board Nominating Committee, and independent Bob Harrison were on hand to chat with voters, distribute leaflets and encourage everyone to go to the polls. For Scarsdale residents, the vote is being held at the Scarsdale Middle School, and booths are open until 9 pm tonight. On the ballot are School Board Nominating Committee candidates Jill Spieler and Elizabeth Guggenheimer, running for their second three-year terms, as well as first-timers Lew Leone and Suzanne Seiden, who is being challenged by independent candidate Bob Harrison. Voters will also vote for or against the $135 million school budget. Which represents a 2.56% tax increase in Scarsdale and a 5.77% tax increase in the Mamaroneck Strip.
The community was surprised to see Scarsdale engaged in a whirlwind of activity. Full page ads were taken out in the paper, campaign signs appeared in windows of local retailers, direct mail was sent out and volunteers made phone calls from a local real estate office to encourage their neighbors to vote. In the past, since the SBNC candidates were not challenged, little campaigning was done.
In Edgemont, the community will choose four school board members from a list of five potential candidates and vote on a $48.5 million school budget. The Edgemont School Board Nominating Committee has endorsed David Chao, Tom McCormack and Gerry Stoughton for a second term on the Board and David Stern who is running for the first time. Challenger Caroline Tzelios is also vying for a seat. The budget will mean a 2.55% tax increase. Edgemont residents are encouraged to vote in the old gym of Edgemont High School and polls are open until 9 pm tonight.
