Scarsdale Police Report: Burglar, Arrests, Car Break-ins and a Fake Diamond

On Saturday evening at 7:53 pm, Scarsdale Police Officer Jospeh Serio spotted a man running from a Post Road home in Greenacres. He stopped the man and determined that the suspect had just committed a burglary. After investigating, police determined that the suspect, identified as Jose Vidal-Serrano of 205 West Post Road in White Plains, had entered a Post Road house through a window and taken jewelry from a second floor bedroom. At the time of the incident a resident was home.

Serrano, who is 23 years old was arrested and charged with burglary 2nd degree, possession of burglar’s tools, criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny. He reported that he works at the Scarsdale Golf Club and was walking home when he decided to enter the Post Road home. He was released and given a May 2nd court date. However, when he failed to show up in court on Wednesday, police searched for him, found him and arrested him. He is now being held by police. This incident comes on the heels of a disturbing crime spree on Easter Sunday in Greenacres and also follows another burglary on Fairview Road which occurred while the residents were in the house. Police are investigating to see if they can link Serrano to any of the previous incidents.

Crash and DWI on Oxford Road: A drunk driver was arrested on Oxford Road in Greenacres at 11:30 pm on Tuesday night 4/24 after he drove his Jeep Grand Cherokee into a utility pole. Police found Peter Soc, age 38 of Yorktown Heights standing outside his car, which was severely damaged by the crash. It appeared that the driver’s head had hit the windshield as Soc’s forehead was cut and the windshield was broken.

Soc was unsteady on his feet and claimed that “a deer ran out in front of (the car) and (he) swerved to avoid it.” Police asked Soc if he had been drinking and he admitted to downing “three vodkas at a friend’s house.” Police called an ambulance and administered a sobriety test which Soc failed. Though he originally consented to blood tests he later retracted his consent, refused to have his blood tested and asked to contact his lawyer. He also admitted to a prior alcohol related conviction in New Jersey. After he was treated at Westchester Medical Center, Soc was brought back to Scarsdale Police headquarters where he was charged with DWI and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. His car was towed and impounded.

Arrests: Brad Boonshaft, age 61 of North Bergen, NJ surrendered himself to Scarsdale Police on the morning of April 26. Boonshaft was ordered to come in after he allegedly sent 26 alarming and threatening text messages to a Scarsdale woman. The messages threatened to damage the woman’s business on or about April 21 or April 22. The victim was fearful and turned the evidence over to the police. Judge Arlene Katz issues a temporary order of protection for the woman on April 25 and Boonshaft was ordered to stay away from the victim.

A Scarsdale police officer spotted a man who was wanted for an outstanding warrant in Putnam County on Garth Road at 5 pm on 4/23. The officer stopped Daniel England, age 60 of East Post Road, Scarsdale, arrested him and called Putnam police who brought the warrant to Scarsdale. England is wanted for menacing and harassment.

Broken lock: Heathcote Road residents, who were burglarized on April 12 reported that a new lock on their front door had been broken. Police found scuff marks around the knob. The damage occurred when the residents were out between 7 pm on 4/26 and 2 am on 4/27.

Diamond? An Ossining woman reported that a diamond, valued at $9,406 had been swapped out of her ring and replaced with a glass substitute. The woman originally lost her grandmother’s diamond in December, 2011. Wilson & Son replaced the diamond and put it in the original setting and her parents delivered it to her in February , 2012. As the stone appeared to be shifting, she brought it into Wilson’s in Scarsdale in April, 2012 and the jeweler advised her that the stone was not a diamond, but a piece of glass. An investigation by the police has found that the diamond ring Wilson's provided in February differed substantially from the one the owner brought back in April. Since the diamond appears to have been swapped when the ring was in her possession, police advised her to contact her local police department.

Identity Theft: On 4/28, an Edgewood woman reported that someone attempted to open a credit card using her name, birth date and social security number and an address in Jamaica, Queens. The bank denied the applicant the card and notified the victim. A woman from Heathcote advised police of an unauthorized withdrawal of $19.95 from her TD Bank debit card on 4/17.

Water: Police got a call about water runoff into a basement at 2 Palmer Road on the afternoon of 4/26. When they arrived they found that a pool on Innes Road was being drained into the street. As a consequence, the building department issued a summons to the pool company that was draining the pool. However, it was later determined that the flooding at 2 Palmer Avenue was sewage back-up that was unrelated to the draining of the pool on Innes Road.

Damage to Scarsdale Synagogue: A large tree fell onto the roof of Scarsdale Synagogue on 4/27 and broke a skylight and damaged the temple. Glass from the skylight shattered and water that had accumulated on the roof drained into the first and second floors of the building. It appears that the tree belonged to the Village of Scarsdale.

Feuding Landlords: Soon to be divorced landlords of a home on Secor Road embroiled their tenant in a dispute over the rent. The wife, who owned the home was demanding rent payment from the tenants at the same time her almost ex-husband said that until the divorce was finalized payment should be made to his lawyer’s escrow account. Threatened with eviction, the tenant called police on 4/28.

Cars: A Griffen Road man reported that someone had vandalized his Cadillac Escalade overnight from 4/26 – 4/27 and taken an iPod out of the car. The sun roof was smashed and there was also a small crack in the driver’s side window.

Also that night on Griffen Road, the passenger window of another car was broken and a Tom Tom GPS was stolen.

Nearby, on Broadmoor Road the rear passenger window of a car was broken and a briefcase and gym bag were taken out and then dumped nearby.

Missing cell phone: On 4/23, an Edgewood mom reported that her daughter’s cell phone had been stolen while she was at Scarsdale Middle School.

A 2012 BMW that was parked in a parking lot at 45 Popham Road was entered on the afternoon of 4/23. A Garmin GPS and $40.00 in quarters were missing.

Play ball! A car window was broken when the car was parked at Scarsdale High School on the afternoon of 4/25. When the owner returned to the car around 5 pm she found that a rear window was broken and spectators told her a ball had gone through it.

Found: A set of car keys was found in the Freightway Garage on April 25 and turned over to police. Another key ring, this one holding a key for a Chevrolet ,was found on Brewster near Kingston Road on 4/26 and turned over to the police.

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