Fishkill
Your Local News for Fishkill, New York
Subscribe
Subscribe
Saturday, jun 13
74°
News
Schools
Business
Obituaries
Police & Fire
Weather
Lifestyle
Politics
Sports
Traffic
Real Estate
Tags
Jobs
Shop
Support Us
Fishkill
Subscribe
News
Schools
Business
Obituaries
Police & Fire
Weather
Lifestyle
Politics
Sports
Traffic
Real Estate
Tags
Jobs
Shop
Support Us
Home
About us
All sites
Advertise with us
Contact us
Terms of use
Privacy policy
Code of ethics
Site Map
© 2026 Cantata Media
74°
Saturday, jun 13
Tag:
Justice System
News
US Embassy Employee Who Repeatedly Raped Teens In West Africa Gets Life In Prison: DOJ
A former US Embassy employee who repeatedly raped two teenage girls while representing the country overseas will spend the rest of his life behind bars, a federal judge ruled in Maryland. Takoma Park native Fode Sitafa Mara, 41, was sentenced to life in prison in Greenbelt — followed by a lifetime of supervised release for good measure — for forcibly sexually assaulting two girls in Burkina Faso over the course of two years. The rapes were reported in 2022 and 2023 while he was stationed at the US Embassy in Ouagadougou. Prosecutors said Mara repeatedly raped the girls — who were…
News
2 Inmates Attacked Officers With Ice Pick–Type Weapons At Green Haven Prison, DA Says
Two inmates were formally charged after prosecutors say they used ice pick–type weapons to attack corrections officers inside a maximum security prison in New York. Daniel Stratton, 58, and Edward Gibson, 43, were separately arraigned in Dutchess County Court on Wednesday, Feb. 11, on felony charges stemming from two incidents at the Green Haven Correctional Facility in Stormville. Authorities allege that on the evening of Dec. 27, 2024, Stratton attempted to cause serious physical injury to a corrections officer by swinging an ice pick–type object at him. The officer was struck in the f…
News
Girl Asked Him For Directions, Then He Raped Her: NY Man Now Facing Decades In Prison
An Upstate New York man is facing years behind bars after confessing that he sexually assaulted an underage girl who asked him for directions. Sayquan Hill, 42, of Troy, pleaded guilty to first-degree rape in Rensselaer County Court on Tuesday, Nov. 25. An investigation found that the assault happened in downtown Troy in February, when Hill forced himself on the girl after she approached him for help with directions, according to prosecutors. Hill is expected to receive 16 ½ years in prison when he’s sentenced in January 2026. He must also complete 20 years of post-release supervision and …
News
Convicted Killer Of Hudson Valley Teen Arrested Again: Exec Slams 'Reckless' Parole Decision
Rockland County's Executive is renewing his call for the resignation of state parole officials after convicted murderer Robert McCain — one of the men responsible for the infamous 1980 killing of 16-year-old Paula Bohovesky — was arrested again, this time in Westchester County. McCain was taken into custody by Peekskill Police on Friday, Nov. 21, and arraigned on charges of petit larceny and aggravated harassment, according to Lt. Adam Renwick. The incident remains under investigation, Renwick added. According to Day, McCain is accused of threatening a woman in Peeksk…
News
Diplomat’s Daughter Convicted Again In Deadly Stabbing After Retrial, Prosecutors Say
The daughter of a former US ambassador has been convicted — again — for her role in a fatal alcohol-fueled stabbing in 2020. DC resident Sophia Negroponte, 32, the adopted daughter of John Negroponte, has been convicted for the second time in connection with the stabbing death of 24-year-old Yousuf Rasmussen in Montgomery County, the state's attorney's office announced on Thursday, Nov. 20. This was a retrial. In January of 2024, the Maryland Court of Appeals overturned Negroponte’s original second-degree murder conviction. What started as a fun evening among several friend…
News
Hudson Valley Man Pulls Girl Into Classroom, Sexually Assaults Her: Here's His Sentence
A Westchester resident who worked as a school janitor will spend years in prison for sexually assaulting a young girl inside a Bronx public school, prosecutors announced. Yonkers resident Cesar Ortega Licona, 45, was sentenced on Tuesday, Oct. 28, to five years in prison and five years of post-release supervision for the incident, which happened in December 2024, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said. Prosecutors said the incident occurred in December 2024 at a Bronx public school where Licona was employed. While working as a janitor, he forcefully pulled the 8-year-o…
News
Fugitive Who Fled To Mexico After Raping Child In NY Pleads Guilty: DA
A man who evaded capture for nearly two decades after raping a child in Westchester County has admitted to the crime, prosecutors announced. On Monday, Sept. 22, 53-year-old Galo Herrera pleaded guilty to first-degree rape, Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced on Tuesday, Sept. 23. Prosecutors said that between December 2006 and January 2007, Herrera forcibly raped a child under the age of 13. Before he could be arrested, he fled the country and hid in Mexico for years. In 2008, Herrera was indicted on multiple charges, including predatory sexual assault …
Politics
Who Is Lindsey Halligan? Trump Taps Mar-a-Lago Lawyer As Virginia’s Top Prosecutor
President Donald Trump has nominated a familiar face to become Virginia's top prosecutor after Erik Siebert stepped away on Friday. Trump announced that he is nominating Lindsey Halligan, a senior aide in the White House, to serve as the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia as he continues to target political adversaries. "It is my honor to appoint Lindsey Halligan, who has been serving as Special Assistant to the President at the White House, as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia," he posted on Truth Social late on Saturday, Sept. 20. The preside…
News
Chilling Texts Read As Death Penalty Sought For Charlie Kirk Murder Suspect: 'I'm Sorry'
Chilling text messages between the 22-year-old now formally charged for the murder of conservative influencer and the suspect's roommate and romantic partner were revealed as prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty. Utah County District Attorney Jeffrey S. Gray announced Tuesday, Sept. 16 that his office filed seven charges against Tyler James Robinson. They also include obstruction of justice for disposing of evidence and witness tampering for telling his roommate to delete texts. Gray said he decided to pursue capital punishment “independently, based solely on the availabl…
Politics
NY Appellate Court Throws Out Trump's $500M+ Fine For Inflating Wealth, Property Values
A New York appellate court struck down the half-billion-dollar penalty imposed on President Donald Trump and his company for lying about his wealth and inflating property values. The state supreme court's Appellate Division, First Judicial Department, overturned the roughly $527 million fine known as "disgorgement" on Thursday, Aug. 21. The appellate court justices were split on whether New York Attorney General Letitia James proved The Trump Organization committed fraud, but the majority said the fine was "excessive" and unconstitutional. James can appeal the decision to New…
Police & Fire
Wallkill Man Who Sexually Assaulted CT 9-Year-Old Gets Decades Behind Bars: State
A Wallkill, New York, man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison, with 21 years to serve, for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old child in Trumbull. Of that prison time, 15 years are mandatory, state prosecutors said. Nicholas Hall, 32, was found guilty in February by a Superior Court jury in Bridgeport of multiple charges stemming from abuse that took place from December 2018 through April 2020. Prosecutors said Hall used his position of trust within the victim’s family to commit the crimes. “The victim in this matter was extremely courageous in testifying to the heinous acts that wer…
News
Victor Martinez-Hernandez Sentenced To Life Without Parole For Rape, Murder Of Rachel Morin
A man convicted of the 2023 rape and murder of Rachel Hannah Morin on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air will spend the rest of his life in prison, prosecutors announced. Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez was sentenced on Monday, Aug. 11, following his April 2025 jury trial conviction on all counts, which include first-degree murder, first-degree rape, third-degree sexual offense, and kidnapping, according to the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office. The jury reached its verdict in less than one hour of deliberation, officials noted. Prosecutors said evidence showed that on Aug. 5, 2023,…
News
DOJ Probing NY Attorney General’s Office Over Trump, NRA Lawsuits: Report
Federal prosecutors are investigating whether New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office violated the legal rights of President Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association through civil lawsuits, NBC News reports. The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York is leading the probe, which is in its early stages, according to the outlet. A spokesperson for James’ office issued the following statement: “Any weaponization of the justice system should disturb every American. We stand strongly behind our successful litigation against the Trump Organization and the Nation…
News
Robert Brooks Death: Ex-Corrections Officer Gets 15 Years For Beating Of NY Inmate
A former New York state corrections officer was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in the brutal beating death of inmate Robert Brooks. Christopher Walrath, a former officer at Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County, learned his fate Monday, Aug. 4, after pleading guilty in May to first-degree manslaughter. Brooks, 43, had been transferred to Marcy on Dec. 9, 2024. He was attacked by a group of officers shortly after arriving, according to prosecutors. He died the next morning from what an autopsy later determined was homicide, caused by “compression of the neck and multiple…
News
‘We Got Something’ Breonna Taylor’s Mom Speaks After Ex-Cop Sentenced: Reports
A former Louisville cop who fired blindly into Breonna Taylor’s home during a deadly 2020 raid has been sentenced to 33 months in prison—despite federal prosecutors asking for just one day behind bars, multiple media outlets are reporting citing the judge's ruling on Monday, July 21. Brett Hankison, 46, was found guilty last November of violating Taylor’s civil rights after unleashing 10 shots through a curtained window and glass door, even though he couldn't see a target, according to previous releases by the US Department of Justice. Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was killed by other of…
News
Tattoo Shop Owner, Wife, Their Nanny Kidnapped Teen, Assaulted Her At NY Home: DA
A married couple from Westchester and their nanny have been indicted in a disturbing kidnapping and assault case involving a teenager employed at a business owned by one of the suspects, prosecutors announced. Wayne Barnes, 44, and Jasmine Barnes, 42, of Hartsdale, along with their 19-year-old nanny, Lizbeth Cerrato-Sanchez of Yonkers, were arrested and arraigned on Thursday, July 10, Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced on Monday, July 21. Prosecutors say the victim, a 19-year-old woman from Queens, worked for Wayne Barnes at his Bronx tattoo parlor, Sons of In…
News
Man Bludgeoned Pregnant GF Until Baby Died In Horrific 2-Day Assault In Region, DA Says
A pregnant New York woman lost her baby after enduring a brutal two-day assault carried out by her boyfriend, prosecutors alleged. Tylique Young, 18, of Albany, was arraigned on kidnapping, assault, and robbery charges in Albany County Court on Wednesday, June 4, after allegedly beating the victim with a hammer inside his Orange Street apartment in Albany, according to the DA’s office. Young is accused of holding his 19-year-old girlfriend—who was 27 weeks pregnant—hostage over the course of several hours on the night of Thursday, May 15, into the early morning of Friday, May 16. After st…
News
Man Who Shot Victim In Head In Dutchess Finally Convicted After Jury Deadlock: DA
A man has been found guilty of pointing a gun at a victim's head and firing in Dutchess County after a previous trial ended with a hung jury, prosecutors announced. Gloversville resident Jan Deere, age 39, was convicted of first-degree manslaughter and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon — all violent felonies — following a retrial in Dutchess County Court, the Dutchess County District Attorney announced on Wednesday, June 4. The case stems from a March 30, 2024, shooting that happened around 4:23 a.m. at 446 Main St. in the City of Poughkeepsie. Pro…
News
Charges Dropped Against NJ Mayor, But Congresswoman Now Faces Federal Assault Case
The U.S. Attorney for New Jersey has dropped the trespassing charge against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, but is now pursuing federal assault charges against U.S. Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, officials announced Monday, May 19. In a statement, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said her office agreed to dismiss Mayor Baraka’s misdemeanor charge of trespass “for the sake of moving forward.” “The citizens of New Jersey deserve unified leadership so we can get to work to keep our state safe,” Habba said. “The dismissal against the mayor is not the end of this matter.” Habba confirmed her office is n…
Police & Fire
Duo Steal From Home, Attack Homeowner After Fleeing In Dutchess County: Police
Two suspects are in custody after allegedly stealing from a home in Dutchess County and attacking the homeowner, authorities announced. The incident leading up to the arrests began when officers responded to a burglary in progress at an East Fishkill residence on Railroad Avenue on Thursday, April 17 around 7:44 p.m., the East Fishkil Police Department said on Friday, April 18. Upon arrival, police found that two suspects had unlawfully entered the home and stolen various items of property, according to authorities. As the suspects fled the scene, police said the female s…
News
Mom Who Smothered Newborn 'Baby Moses,' Dumped Him In Area Flower Bed Sentenced
Nearly 30 years after a newborn’s lifeless body was found in a flower bed of an Albany park, his killer is facing justice. Keri Mazzuca, 52, of Altamont, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Albany County Court on Friday, April 18, after pleading guilty to manslaughter and tampering with evidence in the 1997 death of her newborn son, known as "Baby Moses." Mazzuca intentionally smothered the baby shortly after giving birth, then wrapped his body in a towel, placed him in a bag, and attempted to burn the evidence before abandoning him in Albany's Washington Park park, NewsChannel 13 quoted…
News
After Four Fatal Shootings And $3M+ Payouts, Trooper Jay Splain Earns Promotion
A Pennsylvania State Police trooper involved in four fatal shootings — with civil settlements exceeding $3 million — has been promoted to corporal, officials confirmed. Trooper Jay Splain will assume his new rank effective Saturday, April 12, while continuing to serve in the department’s Member Assistance Program, a confidential peer support unit for PSP personnel and their families. Latest Fatal Shooting: Lebanon County Arrest Attempt Splain most recently fatally shot Andrew J. Dzwonchyk, 40, of Jonestown, during an arrest attempt at a home on the 60 block of Ridge Drive in Union Township …
News
Hidden Notes Found In Accused CEO Killer Luigi Mangione's Socks At Court Hearing
Accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione was found with notes hidden in a package of socks before a recent court appearance. Mangione, age 26, is charged with fatally shooting 50-year-old UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in December ahead of an investor conference. Two heart-shaped notes were tucked away inside the cardboard packaging of argyle socks delivered to Mangione by his defense team before his court appearance in New York City last month, "Secreted in the cardboard were two personal heart-shaped notes, one addressed to an unknown person named …
News
Man Who Murdered 9-Year-Old, Parents In Hudson Valley Learns His Fate, DA Says
An Orange County man who executed a family inside their home, including a nine-year-old child, has earned quite a lengthy sentence, authorities announced. On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Kaliek Goode-Ford, 35, was sentenced to life without parole in Orange County Court by Judge Craig Stephen Brown, according to Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler. Goode-Ford was convicted in January of all charges against him, including three counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and weapons possession, for the 2020 massacre in Newburgh. During the trial, prosecutors detaile…
News
Grieving Mother Hopes Cancer Won't Kill Her Before Daughter's Murder Trial Begins
“Mommy, tomorrow is going to be the most painful day of your life, and then it’s going to get better.” That’s what Maryrose Fealey told her mother, Janet Pizzelli, on Jan. 30, 2024, the day before Pizzelli was set to begin chemotherapy for breast cancer. “Well, she was wrong,” Pizzelli said of her daughter’s words. “It didn’t get better.” It got worse. That same night, Maryrose was stabbed to death by David Shroitman, who followed her home from the gym and killed her in her vehicle, prosecutors said. David Shroitman Somerset County Prosecutor's Office More than a year later, Pizz…
News
Cocaine Trafficker's Son Who Beat Teen For Mother's Trial Testimony Gets Federal Prison Time
A New York man will spend over a year behind bars for violently attacking a 15-year-old boy in retaliation for the boy’s mother testifying in a federal drug case. Patrick Civitello, 19, of Schenectady, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in Albany federal court on Tuesday, March 4, after admitting he punched and kicked the teen in a restaurant parking lot in Glenville in May 2024. The boy’s mother had testified against Civitello’s father, Jeffrey Civitello Sr., and brother, Jeffrey Civitello Jr., in a federal drug case. The father and son were convicted of drug trafficking charges in April…
News
Death Of Young Mom At Hands Of Ex-Lover In NY Could Have Been Prevented, Family Says
More than three years ago, Brenda Alfaro-Alcantara moved to the United States to be with the man she loved, her family said. But the 29-year-old mother's American dream came to a tragic and senseless end when she was stabbed more than 30 times last October by that same man, identified by authorities as 43-year-old Jose Funes-Zabala, of Roosevelt. It all happened in front of the couple's 2-year-old son, who relatives say was found covered in blood at his family's apartment. On Monday, Feb. 10, Funes-Zabala was indicted on second-degree murder and related charges in Nassa…
News
NY Widow's Killer Nabbed Decades Later Thanks To Retired Detectives, DNA Evidence: DA
A chilling murder mystery in New York that went unsolved for over two decades has finally been cracked thanks in part to a pair of determined detectives long since retired, prosecutors said. On Long Island, Raul Ayala, 51, of Georgia, was indicted for first-degree murder in Suffolk County Court on Friday, Feb. 7, in the 2003 killing of Edna “Timmie” Schubert. The 88-year-old Schubert, a widowed former Department of Motor Vehicles employee who lived alone, was found dead inside her North Bay Shore home on Fredrick Avenue on Dec. 12, 2003, Suffolk County Police said. Her body was discovered b…
News
'Disrespected' Correction Officer Repeatedly Beat Wife In Front Of Kids In Region: Jury
A former correction officer in the Capital Region is facing significant prison time after subjecting his wife to years of horrific abuse. Stephen Frank, 48, was found guilty of multiple felony domestic violence charges by a Saratoga County jury on Wednesday, Jan. 29, following a week-long trial. Frank, a former Warren County correction officer, repeatedly subjected the woman to verbal and physical abuse over a period of years, the Saratoga County DA’s office said. His now ex-wife took the stand, telling jurors she suffered repeated bruising, cuts, and even damage to her lungs. The abuse, …
Police & Fire
Dog Helps Young Victim Testify Against Former Detective From Hudson Valley In Sex Abuse Case
In a groundbreaking trial, a court-certified support dog named Eddie helped a young child testify against former NYPD detective Wilson Frias, leading to his conviction on charges of child sexual abuse in Westchester County. Frias, 52, of Briarcliff Manor, was sentenced to five years in prison and ten years of post-release supervision after a jury found him guilty of first-degree sexual abuse, a felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. The abuse occurred on March 11, 2023, in Frias’s home during a playdate. The vic…
News
21-Year-Old From Hudson Valley Scheduled To Be Released From Prison Now Held On Rape Charge
A man from the region who was due to be released from prison on an unrelated charge is now being held after being accused of raping a young girl. In early September, the Ulster County Sheriff's Office Corrections Intelligence Unit discovered that an incarcerated man at the Ulster County Jail had been electronically communicating with a 14-year-old girl who did not appear to have a familial connection to him. The individual was quickly identified as Ronald L. Burris III, age 21, of Saugerties, who was an inmate in the jail on an unrelated charge at the time of disco…
Next Page
Archive
74°
