$64K In Gift Cards Stolen From ShopRite By Former Employee In Westchester: Police $64K In Gift Cards Stolen From ShopRite By Former Employee In Westchester: Police
$64K In Gift Cards Stolen From ShopRite By Former Employee In Westchester: Police A former ShopRite employee from Dutchess County has been charged after allegedly stealing $64,100 worth of gift cards from a Westchester store, police announced. Laura Picozzi, 33, of Fishkill, was taken into custody on Thursday, Jan. 30, following an investigation by Croton-on-Hudson Police into the theft of 151 gift cards from the ShopRite located at 460 South Riverside Ave., the department announced on Monday, March 3.  According to authorities, ShopRite loss prevention officers first alerted police to the theft in January. After reviewing the case, detectives identified Picozzi—a f…
Dozens Of Birds Die After Bird Flu Detected At Westchester Animal Sanctuary Dozens Of Birds Die After Bird Flu Detected At Westchester Animal Sanctuary
Dozens Of Birds Die After Bird Flu Detected At Westchester Animal Sanctuary A bird flu outbreak at a farm animal rescue facility in Westchester has resulted in the deaths of around 60 birds, health officials said. The Westchester County Department of Health announced on Friday, Feb. 28, that multiple birds at Animal Nation, a Farm Animal Rescue & Sanctuary in South Salem, tested positive for the virus, prompting health officials to monitor potential human exposure.  The facility has been closed to the public since the fall, and health officials say there is no risk of exposure to the general public. However, staff and volunteers who worked at the faci…
Sweet Shop To Close In Westchester: Here's When Sweet Shop To Close In Westchester: Here's When
Sweet Shop To Close In Westchester: Here's When After more than half a decade of selling sweets, a chocolate shop in Westchester is revealing some news of a more bitter variety.  In an announcement on Monday, Feb. 17, the owner of Cocoa Tree Chocolates, located in Dobbs Ferry at 25 Cedar St., said that the sweet shop would close at the end of February after six years in business.  "We have made the truly bittersweet decision to close our doors at the end of the month," the owner's announcement read.  She continued, "Thank you for all the love and support over the past six years. It has been a wild ride, and now it's time …
Swatting Sting: Man Admits To Fake 911 Call About ‘Cracked Skull’ In Westchester, Police Say Swatting Sting: Man Admits To Fake 911 Call About ‘Cracked Skull’ In Westchester, Police Say
Swatting Sting: Man Admits To Fake 911 Call About ‘Cracked Skull’ In Westchester, Police Say A Putnam County man has been apprehended for a swatting incident that led to a large emergency response in Westchester, with investigators linking him to multiple similar hoaxes, police said. Mahopac resident Mikel Kolaj, 31, was arrested and charged with three counts of falsely reporting a crime after allegedly placing a false 911 call about a violent assault in progress at an Amawalk residence, New York State Police announced on Tuesday, Feb. 25.  The hoax call came in on Thursday, Feb. 20, at around 11:15 a.m., when an unknown female caller reported "My neighbor is assaulting his wi…
2 Hospitalized After Boats Go Up In Flames At Marina In Westchester 2 Hospitalized After Boats Go Up In Flames At Marina In Westchester
2 Hospitalized After Boats Go Up In Flames At Marina In Westchester A mother and child were both taken to a hospital following a marina blaze in Westchester that took hours to extinguish.  The fire happened at the Imperial Yacht Club in New Rochelle a little bit after midnight on Saturday, Feb. 22, when multiple boats went up in flames, New Rochelle firefighters said. Arriving firefighters soon realized that the flames threatened surrounding properties and buildings and quickly worked to put it out despite below-freezing temperatures.  After around three hours, the flames were contained and stopped from spreading, firefighters said, adding that a…
Tow Truck Driver Collapses While Removing Crashed Car From Woods In Westchester Tow Truck Driver Collapses While Removing Crashed Car From Woods In Westchester
Tow Truck Driver Collapses While Removing Crashed Car From Woods In Westchester A tow truck driver collapsed and had to be revived by first responders while working to remove a crashed vehicle from the woods in Westchester, firefighters said. The incident began around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20, when the Chappaqua Fire Department responded to a single-vehicle crash on Quaker Road, where a car had veered off the road and landed on its side.   Firefighters removed the windshield to help the driver safely get out of the vehicle. Medics checked his vitals, but he declined a trip to a hospital.  While firefighters directed traffic and provided lighting f…
Car Thieves Flee At Over 100 MPH, Lead Cops On Multi-State Chase Through Westchester, CT Car Thieves Flee At Over 100 MPH, Lead Cops On Multi-State Chase Through Westchester, CT
Car Thieves Flee At Over 100 MPH, Lead Cops On Multi-State Chase Through Westchester, CT Three alleged car thieves who fled from authorities in Westchester at over 100 miles per hour were captured in Connecticut after a multi-state pursuit involving a helicopter and spike sticks, police said. The incident began around 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20, when Westchester County Police responded to a report of three people attempting to break into cars at 333 North Bedford Rd. in Mount Kisco. When a patrol officer arrived, the suspects took off in an Audi sedan with Connecticut plates, police said. Because of traffic conditions and the reckless speed of the fleeing vehicle, officers did…
Drone Helps Find Injured Man After Fall Down Steep Ravine In Westchester (VIDEO) Drone Helps Find Injured Man After Fall Down Steep Ravine In Westchester (VIDEO)
Drone Helps Find Injured Man After Fall Down Steep Ravine In Westchester (Video) A man in crisis was rescued from a steep, icy ravine in Westchester thanks to quick-thinking officers, drone technology, and a coordinated emergency response. Ossining Police said officers responded late Wednesday night, Feb. 19, after receiving a report of a man who had fallen into an icy brook. Using an infrared camera on the department’s drone, police found the man and illuminated the area with a spotlight. This allowed officers to make their way to him and provide aid.  Firefighters from the Ossining Fire Department extricated the man from the ravine while members of the Ossining V…
Sleeping Man In Plow Blocks I-287 Ramp, Found Nearly 3 Times Over Legal Limit: NYSP Sleeping Man In Plow Blocks I-287 Ramp, Found Nearly 3 Times Over Legal Limit: NYSP
Sleeping Man In Plow Blocks I-287 Ramp, Found Nearly 3 Times Over Legal Limit: Nysp A Putnam County man was nabbed on DWI charges after being found asleep in an idling tractor with a plow, blocking an exit ramp on Interstate 287 in Westchester, police said.  The arrest resulted from an incident on Saturday, Feb. 15 at just before 6:30 p.m., when police found a man sleeping inside a tractor with a plow that was blocking the I-287 Eastbound Exit 3 ramp leading to Sprain Brook Parkway in Elmsford, New York State Police announced on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Upon arrival, troopers found the red 2024 Yanmar tractor running, obstructing the roadway. The driver, later identifie…
Hit-Run: Teen Flees Scene After Injuring Victim In Westchester, Police Say Hit-Run: Teen Flees Scene After Injuring Victim In Westchester, Police Say
Hit-Run: Teen Flees Scene After Injuring Victim In Westchester, Police Say A 19-year-old man has been charged after allegedly hitting and injuring a victim with a vehicle and fleeing the scene in Westchester, police announced. Peekskill resident Joe William Coronel, age 19, was arrested on Thursday, Feb. 13 in connection with a hit-and-run that left a pedestrian injured on Tuesday, Feb. 13, just after 8 p.m. on Kear Street, the Yorktown Police Department announced on Tuesday, Feb. 18. According to police, multiple 911 calls reported that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle, which then allegedly fled the scene without stopping. Officers, along with Yorktown M…
Cellphone Smuggling Scheme: Former Corrections Officer In Westchester To See Jail Cell, DA Says Cellphone Smuggling Scheme: Former Corrections Officer In Westchester To See Jail Cell, DA Says
Cellphone Smuggling Scheme: Former Corrections Officer In Westchester To See Jail Cell, DA Says A former correction officer at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Westchester will now see the other side of a prison cell for his role in a scheme to smuggle contraband cellphones to inmates, prosecutors announced.  Jose Estevez-Luciano, age 35, of Yorktown Heights, was sentenced on Thursday, Feb. 13, to one to three years in state prison after pleading guilty to charges related to a conspiracy to smuggle cellphones into Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday, Feb. 14.  Between October 2021 and August 202…
Loaded Guns, High-Capacity Magazines: Man Charged After Westchester Weapons Bust, DA Says Loaded Guns, High-Capacity Magazines: Man Charged After Westchester Weapons Bust, DA Says
Loaded Guns, High-Capacity Magazines: Man Charged After Westchester Weapons Bust, DA Says A Westchester man faces multiple weapons charges after being caught with loaded firearms and large-capacity magazines, prosecutors announced.  Malachi Beccan, age 27, of Mount Vernon, was arraigned in Westchester County Court on Thursday, Feb. 13, following an indictment on weapons charges, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced.  According to court documents, Beccan was found in possession of two loaded firearms—a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol and a Cobray 9mm pistol—on Jan. 23, 2025. He was also allegedly in possession of five large-capacity magazines. He w…