Man Accused Of Killing Father, Setting NY Home Ablaze Before Manhunt Gets Murder, Arson Charges Man Accused Of Killing Father, Setting NY Home Ablaze Before Manhunt Gets Murder, Arson Charges
Man Accused Of Killing Father, Setting NY Home Ablaze Before Manhunt Gets Murder, Arson Charges A 32-year-old man accused of killing his father and setting his Orange County home on fire has now been charged with murder following a multi-day manhunt that ended more than 100 miles away, authorities said.  Thomas D. Ryan was charged with second-degree murder after being released from Westchester Medical Center on Thursday, Aug. 13, New York State Police announced.  The charges stem from the death of Ryan's 70-year-old father, Robert Ryan, who was found dead after a fire at his home at 512 Greenville Turnpike in the Town of Greenville on Thursday, Aug. 6.  On the day of t…
Man, 59, Dies After Jump From Newburgh-Beacon Bridge Walkway: NYSP Man, 59, Dies After Jump From Newburgh-Beacon Bridge Walkway: NYSP
Man, 59, Dies After Jump From Newburgh-Beacon Bridge Walkway: Nysp A 59-year-old man died after intentionally jumping from the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge walkway into the Hudson River, New York State Police said. Troopers from the Montgomery barracks responded to a 911 report of a man floating in the Hudson River near the bridge in the Town of Newburgh on Saturday, Aug. 22, at approximately 11:24 a.m., police said. An investigation found the man had intentionally jumped from the bridge walkway about five minutes earlier, at approximately 11:19 a.m., according to State Police. The Dutchess County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Unit recovered the man from the r…
Assault, Weapon Charges Follow Weekend Gatherings In Albany: Police Assault, Weapon Charges Follow Weekend Gatherings In Albany: Police
Assault, Weapon Charges Follow Weekend Gatherings In Albany: Police Assault, weapon, forgery, and resisting-arrest charges were filed during a weekend of large gatherings in an Albany neighborhood, police announced on Sunday, Aug. 23. Albany Police made eight arrests Saturday, Aug. 22, and Sunday while responding to calls and large gatherings in the Pine Hills neighborhood, according to the department. The most serious charges came Sunday, when Eron C. Madden, 23, of Troy, was charged with second-degree assault, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct, police said. Madden was arraigned Sunday morning in Albany City Criminal Court and remanded to the Alban…
NY Taekwondo Instructor Arrested For Sexual Contact With Child: Police NY Taekwondo Instructor Arrested For Sexual Contact With Child: Police
NY Taekwondo Instructor Arrested For Sexual Contact With Child: Police A taekwondo instructor is accused of having sexual contact with a child he met through his Upstate NY business, New York State Police said. Patrick R. Hall, 33, of Schuylerville, was arrested Saturday, Aug. 22, and charged with sexual misconduct and endangering the welfare of a child, police said. Troopers began investigating Friday, Aug. 21, after receiving a report that an adult had sexual contact with a child. Investigators determined Hall met the victim, who is under 16, while instructing at his business, P.R.I.D.E. Taekwondo in Schuylerville, police said. Hall allegedly had sexua…
Retired Firefighter, Wife Found Dead At Upstate NY Home: Report Retired Firefighter, Wife Found Dead At Upstate NY Home: Report
Retired Firefighter, Wife Found Dead At Upstate NY Home: Report UPDATE: Authorities have released details and a possible motive in the deaths of retired Hudson Valley fire chief James "Jimmy" Brugger and his wife, Melinda "Mindy" Brugger. James "Jimmy" Brugger, 66, and his wife, Melinda "Mindy" Brugger, 54, were found dead in the Milton Turnpike home in Plattekill, Lt. Collin Reynolds said. "The investigation is active at this time, however we don’t have any reason to believe there is any danger to the public," Reynolds said. According to MidHudson News, Brugger retired from the Poughkeepsie Fire Department in 2025 after more than 27 years on the …
Massive Manta Ray Spotted At Popular Long Island Beach Massive Manta Ray Spotted At Popular Long Island Beach
Massive Manta Ray Spotted At Popular Long Island Beach A massive manta ray made a surprise appearance close to shore off Long Island. An oceanic manta ray was spotted feeding off Jones Beach State Park, according to New York State Parks, which shared video of the encounter on Aug. 17. The species is typically found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters, mostly offshore, according to NYS Parks. However, oceanic manta rays can also appear in New York waters during the warm summer months. Manta rays are filter feeders that consume large amounts of zooplankton closer to shore. In deeper water, they can forage for medium-sized fish, NYS…
Video Shows Hero Goose Honking For First Time, Alerting Sleeping Owner To Barn Fire Video Shows Hero Goose Honking For First Time, Alerting Sleeping Owner To Barn Fire
Video Shows Hero Goose Honking For First Time, Alerting Sleeping Owner To Barn Fire Goosey picked one heck of a time to find his voice. The 4-month-old Texas goose had never honked before — until a barn caught fire. Chelsea Gerber shared footage of Goosey's heroic act earlier this month on TikTok as The Fuster Cluck, where the feathered fire alarm has since gone viral. The clip shows Goosey waddling around and honking as the blaze burns in the background. Bert Gerber had fallen asleep on the couch when the bird's honking woke him at the family's Fort Bend County home, according to KHOU 11. Gerber went outside to see what had Goosey making so much noise and spotted hi…
NY Teacher Who Admitted Raping Teen Student Ripped By Judge At Sentencing: ‘Twisted Fantasy’ NY Teacher Who Admitted Raping Teen Student Ripped By Judge At Sentencing: ‘Twisted Fantasy’
NY Teacher Who Admitted Raping Teen Student Ripped By Judge At Sentencing: ‘Twisted Fantasy’ A Capital Region high school teacher was living in a “twisted fantasy, false reality” when he started a sexual relationship with his 16-year-old student, a judge said at his sentencing hearing Friday, Aug. 21. Drake Galarneau, 36, of Cohoes, got four years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of third-degree rape, the Albany County District Attorney’s office said. “What sort of twisted fantasy, false reality were you living in, sir, to think this was appropriate or somehow right for you as a teacher to have a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student?” Judge Roger McDonough as…
Man Guilty Of Sexually Abusing Young Child Multiple Times In Hudson Valley: DA Man Guilty Of Sexually Abusing Young Child Multiple Times In Hudson Valley: DA
Man Guilty Of Sexually Abusing Young Child Multiple Times In Hudson Valley: DA An Orange County man has admitted to sexually abusing a child younger than 13 over a period of several months and is expected to spend nearly two decades in prison, prosecutors said.  New Windsor resident Howard Fitts, 37, pleaded guilty to first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child in Orange County Court on Tuesday, Aug. 18, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announced on Friday, Aug. 21.  During his plea, Fitts admitted that between December 2024 and May 2025, he engaged in two or more acts of sexual conduct with a child who was younger than 13, according t…
Ex-Abercrombie CEO Competent For Sex Trafficking Trial, Called Possible Ruling ‘Disaster’: Docs Ex-Abercrombie CEO Competent For Sex Trafficking Trial, Called Possible Ruling ‘Disaster’: Docs
Ex-Abercrombie CEO Competent For Sex Trafficking Trial, Called Possible Ruling ‘Disaster’: Docs Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries is competent to stand trial on sex trafficking charges, a judge ruled Thursday, Aug. 20. Jeffries, 82, was previously ruled incompetent to aid in his own defense, but following an extended controversy over his mental state, Judge Nusrat Choudhury compiled a 157-page decision that he would face the charges. “Jeffries clearly possesses a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings to adjudicate his criminal charges,” Choudhury wrote. “Jeffries has learned and retained adequate information about the interstate prostitution and sex t…
DWI Driver Who Killed Man In Capital Region Crash Had ‘No Remorse,’ Victim’s Mom Says DWI Driver Who Killed Man In Capital Region Crash Had ‘No Remorse,’ Victim’s Mom Says
DWI Driver Who Killed Man In Capital Region Crash Had ‘No Remorse,’ Victim’s Mom Says A Capital Region man who killed another man in a drunken car crash last year was sentenced Friday, Aug. 21 to prison time, authorities said. Matthew Merriman, 30, of Rotterdam, will serve between six and two-thirds and 20 years in prison, the Albany County District Attorney’s office said. The sentence was in line with a plea deal Merriman took in June. Merriman ran a red light while traveling northbound on Everett Road in Albany and slammed into a driver who was exiting I-90 around 5:45 p.m. on Sept. 30, 2025, investigators said. Matthew Mardon, a 34-year-old Wynantskill man, was kille…
Child Sex Abuse Material Found On Albany Man’s Phone, Jury Takes One Hour To Convict: DA Child Sex Abuse Material Found On Albany Man’s Phone, Jury Takes One Hour To Convict: DA
Child Sex Abuse Material Found On Albany Man’s Phone, Jury Takes One Hour To Convict: DA An Albany man with child sex abuse material on his phone was convicted on eight counts, authorities said Thursday, Aug. 20. Kurt Nous, 54, faces a maximum of four years in prison for each count of possessing a sexual performance by a child, the Albany County District Attorney’s office said. Authorities began investigating Nous in October 2024 following a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, prosecutors said. State troopers searched his residence on March 12, 2025, and seized electronics, police said. Investigators found Nous had downloaded and saved child sex…