Edgemont Residents on Edge After Armed Robbery and Burglary

Greenburgh Police report what appears to be an armed robbery at the mini mart at the Shell Station at 1000 Central Park Avenue in Scarsdale, near the intersection of Clifton Road. The incident occurred at 2:50 pm on Tuesday January 22 and a clerk reports that a light-skin male, brandishing what appeared to be a silver handgun demanded money. The clerk gave him an undetermined sum and he fled the store.

Police know little about where the suspect went after the robbery or whether he fled on foot, in a getaway car or on a bus. They also don't know in which direction he fled. In response to concerns from Edgemont parents that the robber ran toward the Seely Place school near dismissal time, Lt. Brian Ryan says that the school is a half mile north of the gas station and that there is no evidence that the robber ran in the direction of the school.

Here is a statement from Greenburgh Police Chief Jospeh J.DeCarlo on the incident:

"I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the questioning of the police department not contacting the Seely Place School regarding the robbery yesterday at the Shell Gas station at 1000 S. Central Ave. The Edgemont Schools were not advised to enact security measures yesterday for several reasons.
The robbery was reported to police at approximately 3:00 p.m. By the time units arrived at the scene and gathered facts it was after 3:00 p.m. Our preliminary investigation revealed that a firearm was not observed. Also, the suspect was tracked by police canine units to Yonkers and there was evidence found in a bordering side street that also corroborated this fact. There were many important questions that investigators could not get answered until after 5:00 p.m. Despite what some concerned residents would like the community to believe, we were confident relatively quickly that the suspect left the area.

In closing, I wish to again assure you that members of the police department are committed to the safety of all residents of the Town of Greenburgh and if there was the slightest chance of a danger to the students and teachers of the school they would have been notified."

Since the man wore a red and white scarf over his face, it is difficult to describe what he looked like. But police are searching for "A male in his 20's, light skin, about 5' 10" to 6' 0" tall, weighing approximately 150-170 lbs. The suspect is described as wearing a gray winter jacket, with black and white trim, blue jeans, and a white wool hat." Police do not know whether the gun he carried was real.

Police are currently investigating and hoping to find videotape of the man. There are also comparing notes with other jurisdictions to see if this robbery has any similarities to other incidents.

The following evening, at 7:20 pm on Wednesday January 23, a Fort Hill Road resident heard the doorbell ring and then saw someone prying open a rear sliding glass door to the house. The homeowner shouted at the suspect who fled on foot toward Jackson Avenue. Nothing was taken from the house and the resident could only say that the suspect was a light-skinned black or Hispanic male. 

In order to prevent a burglary, police recommend that homeowners leave lights on inside during the evening, lock doors and windows and clear piles of newspapers or mail.

In other news from the Greenburgh Police, an unresponsive man was found in a parked car at the Midway Shopping Center at 1001 Central Park Avenue at 8:45 am on Wednesday, January 23rd. The man was found by security personnel at the shopping center.  When Greenburgh Police and EMS arrived they determined that the subject was dead and he was identified as Barry Himmelstein, age 77. Police report that Himmelstein was homeless.

Anyone having information on the above is asked to contact Greenburgh Detectives at (914) 682-5325. All calls will be kept confidential.