$31K Scheme: Kent Woman Nabbed For Welfare Fraud, Police Say $31K Scheme: Kent Woman Nabbed For Welfare Fraud, Police Say
$31K Scheme: Kent Woman Nabbed For Welfare Fraud, Police Say A 35-year-old Hudson Valley woman faces felony charges after claiming tens of thousands of dollars in welfare benefits she was not entitled to, authorities announced.  Putnam County resident Kimberly Nieves of Kent was arrested on Thursday, June 27 in connection with alleged welfare fraud, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office announced on Monday, July 1.  According to the Sheriff's Office, the investigation that led to Nieves' arrest began in March 2024, when the Putnam County Department of Social Services reported that one of their clients had allegedly been cla…
Hudson Valley Man Admits Trying To Rape Young Child: 'Vile, Unspeakable Act' Hudson Valley Man Admits Trying To Rape Young Child: 'Vile, Unspeakable Act'
Hudson Valley Man Admits Trying To Rape Young Child: 'Vile, Unspeakable Act' A 45-year-old Hudson Valley man faces more than a decade in prison after admitting to trying to engage in sexual conduct with a young child, officials announced.  Orange County resident James Pospisil of Port Jervis pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted rape, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announced on Tuesday, June 25.  According to Hoovler's office, between Friday, December 22, 2023, and Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, Pospisil tried engaging in sexual intercourse with a child younger than 11 years old.  Pospisil was later arrested in early February by the&nb…
Hudson Valley Woman Is One Of Newly ID'd Victims In Long Island Serial Murder Case Hudson Valley Woman Is One Of Newly ID'd Victims In Long Island Serial Murder Case
Hudson Valley Woman Is One Of Newly ID'd Victims In Long Island Serial Murder Case A woman who grew up in the Hudson Valley and is remembered by her family as a loving daughter has been identified as one of the newly identified victims of suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann. Related: Heuermann Used 'Planning Doc' For Gilgo Beach Murders: DA Heuermann was officially charged with the murder of Jessica Taylor, age 20, who grew up in Dutchess County in Poughkeepsie, on Thursday, June 6, on Long Island by Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.  Suffolk County Police He was also charged with murdering a Brooklyn woman, Sandra Costil…
'More Playtime': Rex Heuermann Used 'Planning Document' To Guide Gilgo Beach Murders, DA Says 'More Playtime': Rex Heuermann Used 'Planning Document' To Guide Gilgo Beach Murders, DA Says
'More Playtime': Rex Heuermann Used 'Planning Document' To Guide Gilgo Beach Murders, DA Says New details are shedding light on the lengths that accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann went to in hopes of getting away with his alleged murder spree. The 60-year-old Long Island resident, of Massapequa Park, was arraigned on two more charges of second-degree murder in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, June 6, in the killings of Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla. Heuermann was previously charged with the murders of four Gilgo Beach victims: Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Earlier Report: Gilgo Beach Murders: Suspect …
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 …
Superintendent, Security Specialist Stole From Westchester School District: DA Superintendent, Security Specialist Stole From Westchester School District: DA
Superintendent, Security Specialist Stole From Westchester School District: DA A former superintendent and security system specialist face corruption charges after allegedly stealing thousands from the Westchester school district they served and using the funds to buy luxury items for themselves, officials announced. Former Greenburgh-Graham Union Free School District Superintendent Oliver Levy, age 55, and the district's former security specialist, Surendra Kumar, age 47, were both arrested and arraigned on Thursday, May 30 in connection with the scheme, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office and New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli ann…
18-Year-Old Admits Accidentally Shooting GF During Family Fight In Hudson Valley 18-Year-Old Admits Accidentally Shooting GF During Family Fight In Hudson Valley
18-Year-Old Admits Accidentally Shooting GF During Family Fight In Hudson Valley An 18-year-old Hudson Valley man has formally confessed to accidentally shooting his girlfriend during a family fight. Orange County resident Joseph Lightfoot, of Wallkill, pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon in Orange County Court on Tuesday, May 14, stemming from a shooting that occurred in the Village of Walden on Thursday, April 25. According to prosecutors, Lightfoot, his girlfriend, and another man exited a truck and began physically fighting with a man during a family argument over property that was allegedly stolen from the relative’s driveway. During the fight, Lightfoot pul…
8-Year-Old Who Froze To Death Inside NY Garage Was Failed By Child Protective Services: Jury 8-Year-Old Who Froze To Death Inside NY Garage Was Failed By Child Protective Services: Jury
8-Year-Old Who Froze To Death Inside NY Garage Was Failed By Child Protective Services: Jury A scathing grand jury report found that Child Protective Services (CPS) workers in New York had ample opportunities to save an 8-year-old boy whose years of abuse at the hands of his ex-NYPD officer father culminated in him freezing to death inside a garage. The 71-page report, made public Thursday, April 4, found that Suffolk County CPS received at least 10 reports of abuse or neglect from Thomas Valva’s teachers in the two years leading up to his January 2020 death inside the garage of his Center Moriches home. Valva died of hypothermia after he and his 10-year-old brother Anthony w…
NY Bill Targets Squatters Amid Troubling Incidents Involving Homeowners NY Bill Targets Squatters Amid Troubling Incidents Involving Homeowners
NY Bill Targets Squatters Amid Troubling Incidents Involving Homeowners New York lawmakers are considering legislation targeting illegal squatters amid recent disturbing incidents involving homeowners that garnered national attention. The bill from Republican Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz, whose 15th District represents parts of Nassau County, adds squatters to the definition of criminal trespass. It also extends the time period for tenancy rights from 30 days to 45 days of possession. Under current New York State law, squatters are classified as tenants and receive temporary rights after living in a property for 30 days. If a squatter claims to be a tenant, the…
Dismembering Dead Body Would Be Felony Under NY Bill Meant To Remedy 'Ill-Conceived Disaster' Dismembering Dead Body Would Be Felony Under NY Bill Meant To Remedy 'Ill-Conceived Disaster'
Dismembering Dead Body Would Be Felony Under NY Bill Meant To Remedy 'Ill-Conceived Disaster' Public outrage over the release of four suspects accused of dismembering and hiding the bodies of two murder victims in New York has led to proposed changes to state law. A bill introduced by Long Island Republican State Sen. Anthony Palumbo on Thursday, March 7, would make it a felony to dismember or conceal a human corpse, thereby making the offense eligible for bail. Palumbo said the legislation is a direct response to the “horrific” case in Suffolk County, where the severed body parts of a Yonkers couple were found strewn at Bethpage State Park, Southards Pond Park in Babylon, and a woo…
8-Year-Old Boy From Westchester Gets Chance To Meet Popular TV Judge 8-Year-Old Boy From Westchester Gets Chance To Meet Popular TV Judge
8-Year-Old Boy From Westchester Gets Chance To Meet Popular TV Judge An 8-year-old boy from Westchester had the chance to talk to his hero and learn some important lessons about second chances during his meeting with a beloved television judge.  The heartwarming meeting came about after Scarsdale resident Sebastian Lamonarca, a student at Fox Meadow School, learned that his hero, Judge Frank Caprio from the reality television show "Caught In Providence," had revealed a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.  Caprio, an 87-year-old Rhode Island traffic judge known for his caring personality in the courtroom and on his show, revealed his diagnosis…
Man Jailed For Murder Of NY Football Coach Has Conviction Overturned Nearly 30 Years Later Man Jailed For Murder Of NY Football Coach Has Conviction Overturned Nearly 30 Years Later
Man Jailed For Murder Of NY Football Coach Has Conviction Overturned Nearly 30 Years Later A man convicted in the murder of an assistant football coach at Hofstra University on Long Island has been set free after spending more than three decades in prison. Acting State Supreme Court Justice Patricia Harrington ordered a new trial for Nassau County resident Christopher Ellis, age 51, of Hempstead on Monday, Aug. 9.  Ellis was convicted in 1993 of the second-degree murder of 25-year-old Harry Joseph Healy on Saturday, Sept. 29, 1990, by a jury based on testimony from a single eyewitness and without forensic or physical evidence. The judge made the ruling after Ellis’ attorney…