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'Significant Progress': Murders, Shootings, Car Thefts Down In Capital Region, Hochul Says 'Significant Progress': Murders, Shootings, Car Thefts Down In Capital Region, Hochul Says
'Significant Progress': Murders, Shootings, Car Thefts Down In Capital Region, Hochul Says Gov. Kathy Hochul is crediting recent multimillion-dollar policing initiatives with bringing down overall crime in the region. Speaking at the New York State Police Troop G headquarters in Latham on Monday, March 4, Hochul said Capital Region cities participating in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative all saw the number of shootings with injuries drop in 2023 compared to the previous year. The initiative provides tens of millions of dollars in state funding to local police departments to pay for equipment, overtime, and training meant to reduce shootings and homi…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
19-Year-Old ATVer Drags Trooper 200 Yards While Fleeing In Capital Region, Police Say 19-Year-Old ATVer Drags Trooper 200 Yards While Fleeing In Capital Region, Police Say
19-Year-Old ATVer Drags Trooper 200 Yards While Fleeing In Capital Region, Police Say A 19-year-old man is accused of injuring a New York State Police trooper in the region while attempting to flee on an ATV. The Rensselaer County incident happened at around 5 p.m. Friday, March 1, in Sand Lake on Johnny Cake Lane. State Police said the trooper stopped Joseph Dominy, of Averill Park, for illegally operating an ATV. Dominy was reportedly uncooperative and attempted to drive away. The trooper became trapped under the vehicle and was dragged approximately 200 yards before getting unstuck. They were taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital for serious but non-life-threatening…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Man Charged After Threatening To Kill Motorists At Traffic Light In Hudson Valley, Police Say Man Charged After Threatening To Kill Motorists At Traffic Light In Hudson Valley, Police Say
Man Charged After Threatening To Kill Motorists At Traffic Light In Hudson Valley, Police Say A man was arrested on an "extreme risk" protection order for allegedly scaring motorists during a road rage incident that was caught on a Ring camera in the region.  The incident took place in Dutchess County on Saturday, Feb. 24, in Wappingers Falls. Wappingers Falls Police said the department received notification from Ring Neighbors, a public online social media platform, on Saturday warning of a "possible crime" in the area. In the video, police said a man can be seen stopped at a traffic light threatening motorists that he had a gun in back. As a result, the department said it o…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Fatal Crash: 36-Year-Old Woman ID'd After Being Hit By Compact SUV In Hudson Valley Fatal Crash: 36-Year-Old Woman ID'd After Being Hit By Compact SUV In Hudson Valley
Fatal Crash: 36-Year-Old Woman ID'd After Being Hit By Compact SUV In Hudson Valley This story has been updated. A woman hit was killed in a crash on the New York State Thruway in the region. The crash occurred in Orange County around 1 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 27 on I-87 in Woodbury killing Otsego County resident Erika J. Gargan, age 36, of Schuyler Lake. According to Tara McCormick of the New York State Police, troopers responded to a serious injury crash between a 2021 Honda CRV and a pedestrian on I-87 southbound, between exit 15a (Sloatsburg) and exit 16 (Harriman). Gargan was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Honda was not injured.  The invest…

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by Kathy Reakes
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Campground Kidnapping: Man Admits Abducting, Sexually Assaulting 9-Year-Old NY Girl Campground Kidnapping: Man Admits Abducting, Sexually Assaulting 9-Year-Old NY Girl
Campground Kidnapping: Man Admits Abducting, Sexually Assaulting 9-Year-Old NY Girl The man accused of kidnapping a 9-year-old girl from a New York state park and later sexually abusing her has formally confessed. Craig Ross Jr., age 47, pleaded guilty to kidnapping with intent to collect ransom and predatory sexual assault against a child as part of a plea deal in Saratoga County Court on Wednesday, Feb. 21. New York State Police said Ross abducted the child as she rode her bicycle in Moreau Lake State Park on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. Earlier Report: New Update: Kidnapping Suspect Craig Ross Jr. Probed In Milton Murders Of 2 Women, Report Says Her mother called…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Lost Hikers Rescued By Forest Rangers In Hudson Valley Lost Hikers Rescued By Forest Rangers In Hudson Valley
Lost Hikers Rescued By Forest Rangers In Hudson Valley Two lost hikers in the region were guided to safety by forest rangers as darkness set in the region. The incident occurred around 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 11 in Ulster County in the Slide Mountain Wilderness Area in the town of Shandaken. According to officials with the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the two hikers, ages 28, and 31, lost the trail and called 911 as darkness began to fall. Forest Ranger Horn called one hiker’s cell phone and helped guide the pair a short distance back to the trail. The hikers shared tracking information with Ranger Horn to en…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Duo Nabbed With Over 3 Dozen Forged Credit Cards In Region, Police Say Duo Nabbed With Over 3 Dozen Forged Credit Cards In Region, Police Say
Duo Nabbed With Over 3 Dozen Forged Credit Cards In Region, Police Say Two men were allegedly nabbed with dozens of gift cards with stolen credit card information in the region. The duo were charged on Wednesday, Feb. 7 in the area of the Columbia Turnpike in Rensselaer County in East Greenbush. According to Troopers Stephanie O'Neil, of the New York State Police, Manuel E. Grullon Lopez, 38, of Queens, and Erick Jose Berroa, 26, of the Bronx, were stopped after police received information that the vehicle they were in was believed to be in involved in past diesel fuel thefts using stolen credit information. The vehicle was located and stopped by tr…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Woman Drives Into CSX Train By Mistake, Suffers Injuries Hudson Valley Woman Drives Into CSX Train By Mistake, Suffers Injuries
Hudson Valley Woman Drives Into CSX Train By Mistake, Suffers Injuries A Hudson Valley woman suffered minor injuries after she allegedly mixed up backing out and accidentally pulled forward and drove into a CSX train. The incident took place in Ulster County around 2:40 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 14 near the Leggs Mills Road railroad crossing. According to Chief Kyle Berardi of the Ulster Police Department, Vivian McKeithan, age 72, of the town of Ulster, was driving a 2011 Cadillac sedan when she attempted to back out of a parking spot and put the car in drive by mistake, accelerated through the parking lot and collided with the side a passing CSX train. Her vehi…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Court Clerk Accused Of 'Fixing' Tickets For Friends Hudson Valley Court Clerk Accused Of 'Fixing' Tickets For Friends
Hudson Valley Court Clerk Accused Of 'Fixing' Tickets For Friends A court clerk in the region has been charged with allegedly falsifying business records for "fixing" tickets for friends. Ulster County resident Haley Whalen, age 25, of Ulster Park, was arrested on Tuesday, Feb. 13 following an investigation by state police. According to Trooper Steven Nevel, of the New York State Police, an investigation revealed that Whalen, a court clerk with the Town of Saugerties Court, unofficially used her credentials to dismiss tickets on behalf of acquaintances. Whalen was charged with: Four counts of falsifying business records Four counts of tampering with pu…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Guns, Drugs Trafficking Networks Busted, 7 Arrested, AG Says Hudson Valley Guns, Drugs Trafficking Networks Busted, 7 Arrested, AG Says
Hudson Valley Guns, Drugs Trafficking Networks Busted, 7 Arrested, AG Says Large gun trafficking and narcotics networks were busted and seven suspects were arrested during raids in the region. The networks and suspects were operating out of Dutchess County, mostly in the Poughkeepsie area, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James. The arrests were made on Wednesday, Feb. 14 throughout Dutchess County. According to James, the gun trafficking network sold ghost guns and assault-style rifles and the narcotics trafficking network distributed counterfeit oxycodone pills containing deadly amounts of fentanyl in Dutchess County.  The takedowns recovere…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Contractor Accused Of Ripping Off $10K From Homeowner In Region Contractor Accused Of Ripping Off $10K From Homeowner In Region
Contractor Accused Of Ripping Off $10K From Homeowner In Region A 21-year-old contractor from the Capital Region has been charged with allegedly ripping off a homeowner of a $10,000 deposit after he failed to perform work on the victim's home. Saratoga County resident Michael T. Maralett, of Greenfield, was charged with grand larceny and traffic violation on Thursday, Feb. 1, said Trooper Stepanie O'Neil of the New York State Police. According to O'Neil, on Thursday, Jan. 25, State Police received a complaint from a Saratoga County resident. The investigation determined the victim allegedly met with Marlett, the owner and operator of ATQ Contracting LLC…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
52-Year-Old Struck, Killed By Train In Region 52-Year-Old Struck, Killed By Train In Region
52-Year-Old Struck, Killed By Train In Region A 52-year-old man from the Capital Region was struck and killed by a train. The Schoharie County incident happened around 2 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 11, in the area of Everett Street in Cobleskill. According to New York State Police Trooper Stephanie O'Neil, an investigation has determined Saratoga County resident Bruce B. Bidwell, age 52, of Gansevoort, was in the area of the tracks when he was struck by the passing train and severely injured.  The train immediately stopped following the incident and contacted emergency services, but Bidwell died from his injuries on the scene, …

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by Kathy Reakes