Hyde Park resident Daniel M. Prospero was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 13, after being released from MidHudson Regional Hospital, the Hyde Park Police Department announced on Tuesday evening.
Prospero faces six counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, along with one count each of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and third-degree criminal trespass, both misdemeanors.
The charges follow an investigation that began on Monday, Oct. 5, when Prospero was spotted near Haviland Middle School and Ralph R. Smith Elementary School.
As previously reported by Daily Voice, the incident began around 1:25 p.m. when a school monitor alerted Haviland Middle School's school resource officer to a suspicious man riding a bicycle in a field behind the school.
The officer spotted the man, later identified as Prospero, wearing camouflage clothing and riding toward Ralph R. Smith Elementary School. After searching the area, police located Prospero on Violet Avenue near Hidden Brook Estates.
Authorities said he was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and carrying a hunting-style knife and two high-capacity rifle magazines, one of which contained several rounds of ammunition.
No firearm was found in his possession, police said.
Prospero was initially taken into custody under New York State Mental Hygiene Law Section 9.41 and transported to MidHudson Regional Hospital for evaluation and treatment.
In the days that followed, investigators obtained a Temporary Extreme Risk Protection Order and a search warrant for Prospero's residence.
Police searched his home on Tuesday, Oct. 6, and conducted extensive searches of wooded areas surrounding Haviland Middle School, Ralph R. Smith Elementary School, the school district's bus garage, and a nearby apartment complex.
Those efforts involved K-9 units, drones, off-road vehicles, and officers searching on foot, with help from the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police, and local fire departments. No firearms or other concerning items were recovered during those searches, according to police.
Following Prospero's release from the hospital on Tuesday, he was taken into custody and formally charged. He was arraigned in Hyde Park Town Justice Court before Judge Michael H. Plass.
Prospero was released under the supervision of Dutchess County Probation with electronic monitoring, police said.
Anyone with questions about the investigation can contact Hyde Park Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Michael Stallone at 845-229-9340.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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