May 2006

My Space Attack - Tracy Baxter @ 1:54 pm EST
He used the popular website....my space dot com.....to set up a meeting with his victim and now Village of Goshen police are trying to find out if he victimized others. 21 year old Marlon Mansilla of Newburgh is being held on felony sex charges ...after police say...he arranged a meeting on the website with a 14 year old girl. She got into his car in the parking lot of a local bank. That's when Mansilla is accused of driving her to a secluded area and sexually assaulting her. He then returned her to the village and released her. Mansilla was ordered held on 50 thousand dollars bail for a court appearance next Wednesday.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Church Battle - Tracy Baxter @ 12:16 pm EST
St. Mary's Church in the City of Newburgh isn't the only catholic church in the Hudson Valley that's in a fight for its life. The reallignment plan for the New York Archdiocese also included a recommendation to close St. John the Baptist Church in the city of Poughkeepsie. Church members have launched their own letter-writing campaign to try to save their parish. The Archdiocese is expected to release its final decision on church closings and reallignments this summer.

Lockdown - Tracy Baxter @ 12:13 pm EST
When a student told the principal at Cornwall High School that there was the potential for a serious incident at the school Thursday morning, the district's emergency operation plan kicked in. Town of Cornwall police officers were called in....the school was put on lockdown and the high school was searched inside and out. The lockdown ended shortly after 10am when it was determined there was no danger. The investigation is continueing.

Gang Assault - Tracy Baxter @ 12:10 pm EST
In Ulster County, 6 teens were arrested Wednesday on a felony charge of gang assault. It happened near the Eddyville Bridge in the Town of Esopus. County Sheriff's deputies say the boys....ages 13 to 15...attacked a 54 year old man who was fishing with his young son. They then took the man's car. It was later found on North Wilbur Avenue in the city of Kingston. The 6 boys were rounded up and were due to appear in Family Court Thursday. The victim was treated for injuries at Benedictine Hospital and later released. His young son was not hurt.

Plane Crash - Tracy Baxter @ 12:07 pm EST
The pilot of a homemade airplane suffered only a minor injury Wednesday night when his plane crashed at Sky Acres Airport in the Dutchess County Town of Unionvale. Antonio Espinal of Yonkers was treated for a cut to his hand after the single-engine two-seat aircraft lost power and crashed near the runway. The plane sustained heavy damage.

Friday, May 19, 2006

Bonelli Sentenced - Tracy Baxter @ 11:25 am EST
A man described as being fascinated with the Columbine massacre has been sentenced to 32 years in prison for firing rounds from his gun inside a Kingston area shopping mall last year. Robert Bonelli Jr. apologized during his sentencing Friday in Ulster County Court and blamed his actions on lack of sleep and abuse of drugs and alcohol. But the judge told the 26 year old that he was in "full control" when he opened fire inside the Hudson Valley Mall in February of 2005. Two people...including a 20 year old National Guard recruiter...were wounded. The shooting spree ended when Bonelli ran out of ammunition and was tackled by several people. Back in March, Bonelli had pleaded guilty to every charge contained in an 18-count indictment.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Roadway Death - Tracy Baxter @ 2:09 pm EST
A car crash Wednesday night on Balmville road in the Town of Newburgh claimed the life of the driver. Town police say 25 year old Santos Garcia-Rosas was killed when his car went out of control ...severed a utility pole...then flipped over several times. Garcia-Rosas was ejected from the car and was pronounced dead at St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Fatal Pick-up Accident - Tracy Baxter @ 11:43 am EST
The driver of a pick-up truck was killed Tuesday evening in the Town of Deerpark. State Police say 22 year old John McLester of the hamlet of Wallkill lost control of the pick-up on a curve along Route 209 in Cuddebackville. The vehicle flipped over after hitting two trees. McLester was pronounced dead after being airlifted to a hospital in Morristown New Jersey. 3 of his passengers walked away but a 4th...John Foster of Wallkill...was airlifted to Westchester Medical Center for treatment of head injuries. Troopers say McLester was trapped in the wreckage for more than two hours.

Liberty Robbery - Tracy Baxter @ 11:39 am EST
State Police and the Sullivan County Sheriff's Department teamed up to arrest a man...they say...pulled an armed robbery Tuesday night in the Town of Liberty. 24 year old Simon Persaud of Queens was charged with taking an undisclosed amount of cash from the Dollar General store on Route 52. Officers spotted the getaway car and pulled it over in the Town of Fallsburg. Also arrested....a passenger in the car...26 year old Shari-Ann Rohen of Loch Sheldrake...a teacher at Liberty High School. Rohen was charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Bank Official Sentenced - Tracy Baxter @ 2:10 pm EST
An anonymous tip led to her arrest and now a former bank official in Ulster County is heading to prison. 38 year old Karen Croizer of Woodstock...a former vice-president for the Rondout Savings Bank....was sentenced to a year and a day in prison in U-S District Court in Albany Tuesday. Croizer had pleaded guilty to stealing more than 430 thousand dollars over an 8 year period by means of fake invoices and phony checks. Among her purchases with the embezzled funds....cars, jewelry, and a Disneyworld time share. Croizer had pleaded for a sentence of probation because of her two young children.

50 Years to Life - Tracy Baxter @ 2:06 pm EST
Angel Alomar will probably spend the rest of his life behind bars now that he's been given two consecutive, 25 years to life sentences in Orange County Court. The 36 year old Mongaup Valley man was sentenced as a persistent felony offender. He was most recently convicted of firing 6 shots into an occupied car on North Street in Middletown last August. No one was hit. Alomar had 3 prior felony convictions. Under terms of the sentence, Alomar won't be eligible for parole for 50 years...when he's 86 years old.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Quickway Crash - Tracy Baxter @ 2:55 pm EST
State Police say speed was a factor in a car crash early Wednesday morning on Route 17 Westbound that took the life of a Rockland County man. 38 year old Dwayne Brown of Chestnut Ridge was killed when his car swerved off the Quickway near Monticello and flipped over after hitting some trees. Investigators say Brown wasn't wearing his seat belt and was ejected. Witnesses told police Brown's car was weaving in and out of traffic before he lost control.

Deadline - Tracy Baxter @ 2:00 pm EST
The Ulster County Office for the Aging will stay open until 9 next Monday night. That's because Monday the 15th is the deadline for Medicare Part D prescription drug enrollment. After that, seniors will have to pay a penalty if they want to join. The program has come under fire among seniors for being too confusing and complicated. Officials at AARP say seniors should narrow their options based on the three C's....cost.....coverage, whether your drug is covered, and convenience...whether the plan is accepted at your local pharmacy. And the experts say even if you're healthy now, go ahead and sign up for one of the low-cost plans so you won't be penalized if you get sick.

D-W-I Charge - Tracy Baxter @ 1:01 pm EST
If you were driving while under the influence, about the last thing you'd want to do is crash your car...especially into a police car. Monticello Police say that's what happened to Robert Williams Tuesday afternoon. Police say the 41 year old Burlingham resident rear-ended a police patrol car as it was making a turn off Broadway. Williams faces a misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charge and he was ticketed for following too closely.

Monticello Raid - Tracy Baxter @ 12:57 pm EST
Six people were arrested Tuesday night when police raided a suspected drug house on York Avenue in Monticello. Officers say they seized a variety of drugs and packaging materials and a handgun stolen in New York City. Those arrested include the apartment resident...23 year old Michael McCoy and 28 year old Willie Melendez...who lived in another apartment in the building. Police say Melendez was not a target of the search warrant but when he saw the officers coming he threw baggies containing marijuana out of his apartment window.

Monday, May 08, 2006

Cat and Mouse game - Tracy Baxter @ 4:23 pm EST
Town of Cornwall police say it was a high-speed game of cat and mouse being played by motorcyclists on Route 9W Saturday evening and it was a game that cost one cyclist his life. 38 year old Pascaly Dorilas of Garnerville New York died when his motorcycle crashed into a guardrail. Police later determined that Dorilas and other cyclists were rapidly changing lanes on 9W and that the actions led to the crash. Town of Cornwall police say they'll step up enforcement of 9W amid internet reports that Routes 9W and 218 are considered good places for motorcyclists to test their skills.

Custodial Interference - Tracy Baxter @ 4:19 pm EST
The father who took his biological daughter away from his ex-wife last year ...and was later found in New Zealand...pleaded guilty Monday to custodial interference in Orange County Court. 39 year old Andrew Burns failed to return the 5 year old girl to her mother in the town of Crawford after a weekend visit. Burns and 5 year old Alexis were later located in New Zealand. He's been in jail since December. He's expected to be sentenced next month to 5 months in jail and 5 years probation. But District Attorney Frank Phillips says he'll recommend that Burns serve time in state prison.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Panse Hearings - Tracy Baxter @ 12:37 pm EST
Hearings begin next Tuesday May 9th in the Middletown School District Administrative Office in the case of Peter Panse, the long-time High School art teacher who was suspended and brought up on disciplinary charges last December for encouraging students to take a nude-figure drawing class as a way to improve their chances of getting into an art college. Middletown School Board officials cited the ages of the local art students...calling their action, a pro-active approach. The suspension created a backlash from some of Panse's students and their parents. A hearing officer will ultimately decide the case.

Rate Increase? - Tracy Baxter @ 12:31 pm EST
The price of a first class stamp could go up by 3 cents....to 42 cents a stamp. The Postal Service made the announcement Wednesday and if approved, it could take effect in the Spring of 2007. But there is brighter news. The Postal Service has suggested what they're calling a "forever" stamp that will remain valid no matter what the rate increase. That way people could stock up to help soften the blow of future rate hikes.

Insurance Fraud - Tracy Baxter @ 12:29 pm EST
A Town of Fallsburg woman has been arrested for getting money from the State Insurance Fund that was intended for her deceased husband. State Police have charged 44 year old Victoria Felton with forgery, insurance fraud and offering a false instrument for filing. Investigators say she received more than 4 thousand dollars over a period of 3 months.

Accountant Charged - Tracy Baxter @ 12:26 pm EST
The woman who was doing the books for a property management company in the Town of Poughkeepsie has been charged with stealing from the company and then making changes in the company's computer software in an attempt to cover it up. 41 year old Zoila Gonzalez of Newburgh....the bookkeeper and accountant for the company...was charged with grand larceny and falsifying business records. Poughkeepsie Town police say Gonzalez stole more than 78 thousand dollars.