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Police & Fire
Fire Called 'Suspicious' Destroys Home In Westchester Fire Called 'Suspicious' Destroys Home In Westchester
Fire Called 'Suspicious' Destroys Home In Westchester A raging fire destroyed a house in Westchester on Tuesday morning. Firefighters from several Westchester departments were dispatched to Smith Street in Port Chester shortly before 5 a.m., when the vacant home went up in flames. According to reports, the fire has been deemed “suspicious.” Fire crews took several hours to knock down the flames, and a first-floor roof collapsed. No injuries were reported. Smith and Pearl streets were temporarily closed in Port Chester as officials investigated the fire, including an arson detection dog from the Westchester Police Department. The village …

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by Zak Failla
News
Peekskill Man Sentenced For Setting Fire To Own Business Peekskill Man Sentenced For Setting Fire To Own Business
Peekskill Man Sentenced For Setting Fire To Own Business A Northern Westchester business owner was sentenced to 17 years in prison for setting fire to his own market, endangering a resident who lived above the store. Jesus Cruz, 44, of Peekskill, was sentenced Tuesday to the prison time along with five years post-release supervision for intentionally setting fire to a building where he had operated a market in the City of Newburgh, said the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Cruz was convicted after a jury trial of arson and reckless endangerment for the Sept. 22, 2017 fire, said the DA's Office. The jury found that Cruz ha…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Teen Charged In Arson That Caused $39K In Damage To Shrub Oak Park Teen Charged In Arson That Caused $39K In Damage To Shrub Oak Park
Teen Charged In Arson That Caused $39K In Damage To Shrub Oak Park A months-long police investigation into an arson incident at a park in Northern Westchester has led to the arrest of a Putnam County teenager who caused nearly $40,000 in damages. Investigators from the Yorktown Police Department were dispatched to Shrub Oak Park at approximately 7:15 a.m. on Sept. 6, where there was a report of criminal mischief. Police said that the initial investigation determined that an unknown suspect had entered the pool area, and lit a fire that caused “extensive damage.” According to police, at approximately 10:25 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 21, an officer stopped a …

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by Zak Failla
News
Four Teens Arrested For Fire At Historic Westchester Mansion Four Teens Arrested For Fire At Historic Westchester Mansion
Four Teens Arrested For Fire At Historic Westchester Mansion Four teenagers have been arrested in connection to the fire that broke out at a historic Westchester mansion that burned to the ground, police said. Dozens of firefighters responded to the Wildcliff Manor in New Rochelle shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 26, when a fire was reported at the building, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. On Wednesday, police said that four 13-year-olds are currently being held accountable for the fire. Three of the teenagers are facing trespassing charges and a fourth has also been charged with arson, police said. The…

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by Zak Failla
News
Police Probe Possible Causes Of Fire At Former Site Of Popular Restaurant Police Probe Possible Causes Of Fire At Former Site Of Popular Restaurant
Police Probe Possible Causes Of Fire At Former Site Of Popular Restaurant The two-alarm fire that destroyed a former popular restaurant that has sat abandoned since it closed in 2001 is under investigation. The Rusty Nail, known for its "hopping" happy hours, was destroyed by the fire during the early morning hours on Thursday in the town of Wallkill.  State Police, who assisted at the fire scene, said the origin of the fire at the three-story wood structure is under investigation and that "all" causes are on the table, including arson, said Trooper Stephen Nevel. The investigation is being conducted the Orange County Fire Investigation Unit, Neve…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Woman Accused Of Setting Two Fires In Hudson Valley Woman Accused Of Setting Two Fires In Hudson Valley
Woman Accused Of Setting Two Fires In Hudson Valley A 39-year-old woman has been accused of setting two fires in the Hudson Valley. Dana M. Weitlich of Wappingers Falls was arrested Tuesday and charged with arson and other related charges following an investigation into a series of incidents that occurred over the last several months in the Town of Wappinger, said the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office. As a result of the investigation, evidence was developed that Weitlich set fire to a structure located on a residential property and attempted to set a vehicle on fire.  She was charged with felony arson, felony criminal mischief, felony reckl…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Westchester Man Who Burned Down House At Owner's Request Nabbed, Police Say Westchester Man Who Burned Down House At Owner's Request Nabbed, Police Say
Westchester Man Who Burned Down House At Owner's Request Nabbed, Police Say A Westchester man who was allegedly commissioned to burn a rental house down in Connecticut and attempted to elude arrest has been busted by police following a two-year investigation. Connecticut State Police announced the arrest of Yonkers resident Leon “Pops” Carson, Jr., who was allegedly set a mattress on fire at an Oxford rental home at the behest of the owner, Delores Lee, who had recently taken out a $300,000 insurance policy on the property. First responders received a report of a structure fire at approximately 1:45 a.m. on Route 67 on July 29, 2016. Upon arrival, police said that …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Reward Offered For Arson Fire At Old Hudson River Psychiatric Center Reward Offered For Arson Fire At Old Hudson River Psychiatric Center
Reward Offered For Arson Fire At Old Hudson River Psychiatric Center This story has been updated. A $5,000 reward is being offered by developers of the old Hudson River Psychiatric Center to find out who intentionally set a four-alarm fire that Fairview firefighters are still monitoring for hot spots, said Fairview Fire District Chief Christopher Maeder. Fairview Firefighters were dispatched for a report of smoke in the area of Fulton Street around 4 a.m. Friday and found smoke coming from the area of the old Hudson River Psychiatric Center, Maeder said. Upon further investigation, a fire was found in the wing of the old main administration building. Additi…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Mom Who Killed Four Children In Fire To Live In Hudson Valley Mom Who Killed Four Children In Fire To Live In Hudson Valley
Mom Who Killed Four Children In Fire To Live In Hudson Valley A Rochester woman who set her home on fire in 2012, killing four of her six children, has been released from prison and will make the Hudson Valley home. Bobbie J. Kugler, 37, was released from Albion State Correctional Institution on Monday, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Spokesman Patrick Bailey. Bailey said Kugler, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, assault, and arson. in 2012, will live in Dutchess County.  Kugler told the court she was drunk and took sleeping and anxiety medication before the fire started around 1:30 a.m., on Feb. 18, 2012.…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Teen Charged In Connection To Westchester Pool Pavilion Fire Teen Charged In Connection To Westchester Pool Pavilion Fire
Teen Charged In Connection To Westchester Pool Pavilion Fire A two-year investigation into a fire at the Briarcliff Manor Pavillion has led to the arrest of a Westchester County teenager who is facing an arson charge. The Briarcliff Manor Police Department announced over the weekend that they have arrested an 18-year-old who was 16 at the time of the blaze, following an investigation by detectives that lasted more than two years. On Facebook, the department praised the efforts of Det. Sgt. Matthew Doherty, Det. Fred Galbraith of the Briarcliff Manor Police Department Detective Division and mutual aide companies, the Westchester County Cause and Origi…

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by Zak Failla