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Christopher Sapienza

Overpass Bridge Where Fallen Officer Was Killed Renamed In His Honor In Westchester Overpass Bridge Where Fallen Officer Was Killed Renamed In His Honor In Westchester
Overpass Bridge Where Fallen Officer Was Killed Renamed In His Honor In Westchester Nearly two years after the death of a beloved police officer, the Westchester County bridge where he was fatally struck in a head-on crash is now forever named in his memory.  In a ceremony held on Wednesday, Oct. 30, hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the renaming of the Tuckahoe Road Bridge over the Sprain Brook Parkway in Yonkers after Yonkers Police Detective Sergeant Frank Gualdino, who was killed in a crash in December 2022 at the age of 53. On Dec. 1, 2022, Gualdino, a Putnam County resident who lived in Mahopac, was driving on Tuckahoe Road while on duty when a speed…
Man Nabbed After Starting Several Fires Around City In Westchester, Police Say Man Nabbed After Starting Several Fires Around City In Westchester, Police Say
Man Nabbed After Starting Several Fires Around City In Westchester, Police Say A 34-year-old man faces a felony arson charge after allegedly starting multiple fires across a city in Westchester, damaging a car in the process, police announced.  Yonkers resident Edwin Polanco was arrested on Monday, June 3, following several incidents that began around 1 a.m., Yonkers Police announced on Tuesday, June 4.  According to the department, Polanco allegedly set several piles of garbage on fire at that time, damaging a vehicle parked next to trash cans in one of the locations.  Soon after the fires were set, officers and detectives found Polanco and …
Police Commissioner Helps Officers Subdue Erratic Man In Westchester Police Commissioner Helps Officers Subdue Erratic Man In Westchester
Police Commissioner Helps Officers Subdue Erratic Man In Westchester A police commissioner in Westchester made sure he had the backs of his fellow officers while they helped subdue a man acting erratically. The incident happened in Yonkers on Monday, April 1, when an officer on a traffic post in the city's Getty Square area saw a man damaging trees and knocking down traffic safety equipment, according to Detective Sergeant Frank DiDomizio.  The officer then approached the man to help him and get him evaluated, as he was acting in a way that could cause injury to himself or others, DiDomizio said. At this point, Yonkers Police Commissioner Chr…
Officer Put On Restricted Duty After Investigation Into Use Of Force In Westchester: Police Officer Put On Restricted Duty After Investigation Into Use Of Force In Westchester: Police
Officer Put On Restricted Duty After Investigation Into Use Of Force In Westchester: Police A police officer in Westchester was put on restricted duty following an investigation into his use of force while apprehending a suspect who led authorities on a pursuit.  In an announcement on Friday, March 29, the Yonkers Police Department revealed that one of their officers was placed on restricted duty in connection with their conduct during an incident on Thursday, March 14. According to the department, just after 9:45 p.m. on the day of the incident, a victim went up to Yonkers officers in the area of McLean and Van Cortlandt Park Avenues and told them his vehicle had just b…
New Update: 18-Year-Old Fatally Shoots Victim In Head Inside Truck In Westchester, Police Say New Update: 18-Year-Old Fatally Shoots Victim In Head Inside Truck In Westchester, Police Say
New Update: 18-Year-Old Fatally Shoots Victim In Head Inside Truck In Westchester, Police Say After discovering a victim with a gunshot wound to his head inside a pickup truck in Westchester, authorities have charged an 18-year-old man with his murder, police announced.  Yonkers resident Ludvin Ramos-Cervantes was arrested on Monday, Feb. 26 in connection with the murder of 51-year-old Francisco Gordillo, who was found dead earlier in the day, Yonkers Police announced on Tuesday, Feb. 27.  Earlier Report - Man Found With Gunshot Wound To Head Inside Vehicle In Yonkers: Police According to the department, just before 5 a.m. on Monday, officers found Gordillo insi…
New Update: Suspect From Westchester Nabbed In Shooting Of Off-Duty NYPD Officer New Update: Suspect From Westchester Nabbed In Shooting Of Off-Duty NYPD Officer
New Update: Suspect From Westchester Nabbed In Shooting Of Off-Duty Nypd Officer A 30-year-old man has been charged with shooting an off-duty police officer in a targeted attack that happened near a parkway in Westchester, authorities announced.  Port Chester resident Bryan Martinez, age 30, was arrested on Thursday evening, Nov. 16 in connection with the shooting of a 27-year-old off-duty New York City Police Department officer near the Saw Mill River Parkway in Yonkers on Tuesday, Nov. 14, Yonkers Police announced.  Earlier Report - Latest Update: Police Seek Help In Solving Shooting Of Off-Duty NYPD Officer In Yonkers On the day of the shooting, …
'Fall Cleanup': Dozens Of Motorcycles, Mopeds Impounded In 8-Hour Period In Westchester 'Fall Cleanup': Dozens Of Motorcycles, Mopeds Impounded In 8-Hour Period In Westchester
'Fall Cleanup': Dozens Of Motorcycles, Mopeds Impounded In 8-Hour Period In Westchester In an effort to respond to their number-one complaint from residents, a police department in Westchester worked to impound dozens of unregistered motorcycles, scooters, dirtbikes, and other two-wheeled vehicles over an eight-hour period.  The Yonkers Police Department undertook the effort, which they called a "fall cleanup," on Thursday, Nov. 2 under the direction of Mayor Mike Spano and Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza.  According to the department, plainclothes officers scoured the city over a period of eight hours and impounded a total of 30 unregistered mopeds, scooters, dirtbi…
Man Sucker-Punches Officer, Breaks His Nose In Westchester: Police Man Sucker-Punches Officer, Breaks His Nose In Westchester: Police
Man Sucker-Punches Officer, Breaks His Nose In Westchester: Police Officials in a Westchester County city are calling for bail reform following the quick release of a man who was arrested for sucker punching an officer in his face and breaking his nose, police said. Johnny McCray, age 39, was arrested on Wednesday night, Sept. 6 on assault charges after punching an officer in the face, according to Yonkers Police.  On the night of the incident, police responded to Yonkers Avenue in the area of Cypress Street on reports of a man lying down on the sidewalk. There, arriving officers found a man identified as McCray, who they confirmed was still breathing.  …
Man Kills Father With Meat Cleaver In Westchester: Police Man Kills Father With Meat Cleaver In Westchester: Police
Man Kills Father With Meat Cleaver In Westchester: Police A 47-year-old man faces murder charges for allegedly killing his 76-year-old father with a meat cleaver in a Westchester residence, police said.  Yonkers resident August Velasco, age 47, was arrested on Tuesday, Aug. 29 for the alleged murder of his 76-year-old father, Jose Raul Velasco, Yonkers Police announced on Wednesday, Aug. 30.  According to the department, just after 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Yonkers officers responded to 347 Scarsdale Rd. on a report of an unconscious man. Once they arrived at the home, police found Velasco's father dead with numerous seve…
New Update: Teenage Duo Charged With Attempted Murder After Westchester Shooting, Police Say New Update: Teenage Duo Charged With Attempted Murder After Westchester Shooting, Police Say
New Update: Teenage Duo Charged With Attempted Murder After Westchester Shooting, Police Say Two teenage boys have been charged with shooting a victim in both of his legs near an apartment building in Westchester, police said.  The arrests resulted from an incident on Tuesday, Aug. 22 just after 2 p.m., when Yonkers Police responded to the area of 1 Schroeder St. for a reported shooting, according to Yonkers Police Detective Sergeant Frank M. DiDomizio.  Earlier Report - Shooting Near Apartment Building Injures Victim In Yonkers: Suspect At Large, Police Say Arriving officers soon found a 21-year-old man from Yonkers who had suffered a gunshot wound to e…
New Update: Underage Duo Charged In Fatal Shooting At Westchester Parking Garage New Update: Underage Duo Charged In Fatal Shooting At Westchester Parking Garage
New Update: Underage Duo Charged In Fatal Shooting At Westchester Parking Garage Two teenagers have been charged in a fatal shooting at a Westchester parking garage that left a 16-year-old victim dead, police said. The duo was arrested in connection with an incident that happened on Friday, July 28 at a parking garage in Yonkers at 73-83 Highland Ave., Yonkers Police announced on Monday, Aug. 14. Earlier Report - Fatal Shooting: Victim Found In Parking Garage In Yonkers, Suspect At Large According to the department, on the day of the shooting, around 6:30 p.m., an unconscious male victim was found lying on the ground inside the parking garage. First responders s…
Westchester Man Threatened To 'Crucify' Police, City Mayor, Officials Say Westchester Man Threatened To 'Crucify' Police, City Mayor, Officials Say
Westchester Man Threatened To 'Crucify' Police, City Mayor, Officials Say A Westchester man who had expressed support for radical Islamic extremism faces prison time after allegedly making repeated threats to kill police officers and a mayor, officials said.  Yonkers resident Ridon Kola, age 32, was arrested on Friday, March 17, and charged with making threats to kill members of the city's police department and the city's mayor, Mike Spano, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  Kola first allegedly started making the threats on Nov. 19, 2021, when he posted a message in Albanian on a Yonkers PD official social med…
Unlicensed Smoke Shops Selling To Kids In This Westchester City: 'Like Wild West,' Mayor Says Unlicensed Smoke Shops Selling To Kids In This Westchester City: 'Like Wild West,' Mayor Says
Unlicensed Smoke Shops Selling To Kids In This Westchester City: 'Like Wild West,' Mayor Says A city in Westchester has seen a dramatic rise in unlicensed smoke shops selling cannabis and other illegal products to children, officials said.  According to Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, unlicensed smoke shops that peddle cannabis and other products containing THC have popped up all over the city despite the police department's best efforts, he said in a press conference held on Thursday, March 9.  "It’s become like the wild west," Spano said, adding that similar products have also been sold in bodegas, gas stations, and even barber shops in the city, and often use colorful marketi…
Record Amount Of Shoplifting Incidents Happening In This Westchester City, Police Say Record Amount Of Shoplifting Incidents Happening In This Westchester City, Police Say
Record Amount Of Shoplifting Incidents Happening In This Westchester City, Police Say As a city in Westchester faces a rise in shoplifting incidents, police are outlining what they will do to combat them.  According to Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, property crime such as shoplifting has risen by 10 percent in the city, with 162 reported shoplifting incidents reported between December 2022 and February 2023. Related Story - Video: Shoplifter Of Marshalls In Yonkers Nabbed After Forcing His Way Out Of Store In a press conference held on Thursday, March 2, Spano and Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza admitted that the incidents have been a problem in t…
48-Year-Old Police Detective In Westchester Dies Suddenly 48-Year-Old Police Detective In Westchester Dies Suddenly
48-Year-Old Police Detective In Westchester Dies Suddenly A 48-year-old member of a police department in Westchester has died suddenly. The detective, a 16-year veteran with the Yonkers PD, died on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 19 in New York City after he apparently suffered a medical event while operating a motor vehicle in New York City, according to preliminary indications, the department announced Monday morning, Feb. 20. His identity is being withheld pending family notifications, according to the Yonkers PD/ “Our city is mourning a tragedy," Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said in a statement. "This detective was known and loved by many in the…
ID Released For Police Sergeant Killed In Multi-Vehicle Westchester Crash Involving Teen Driver ID Released For Police Sergeant Killed In Multi-Vehicle Westchester Crash Involving Teen Driver
ID Released For Police Sergeant Killed In Multi-Vehicle Westchester Crash Involving Teen Driver Click here for a new, updated story: New Details Released After Westchester Crash That Killed Sergeant, 53, Due To Retire In Months Police have released the name of a longtime police sergeant killed in a car crash in Westchester County when a 16-year-old with a learner's permit driving a new BMW lost control of the car and slammed into the police vehicle. Yonkers Sgt. Frank Gualdino, age 53, was killed around 3:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 1, in Yonkers on Tuckahoe Road at the Sprain Brook Parkway overpass. Earlier report: Police Officer Killed In Multi-Vehicle Yonkers Crash Yon…