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Fence Builder Ghosts Several Capital Region Homeowners After Taking Thousands, Police Say
The owner of a fence building company is accused of taking thousands of dollars from area homeowners for jobs that were never completed.
Schenectady County resident James Butler, age 30, of Glenville, was arrested on Friday, Feb. 23 on a felony charge of grand larceny.
Glenville Police said Butler, who owns and operates “Trust a Fence,” accepted over $7,000 from a Glenville homeowner to purchase fencing material. However, the job was never finished.
An investigation found several similar claims that are being investigated by the Scotia, Colonie, Guilderland, and Niskayuna police department…
ShopRite To Close 5 NY Locations: Here's Rundown
Supermarket chain ShopRite is closing five stores in New York.
The closures, scheduled for early December, are all in the Capital Region, according to a report by Winsight Grocery Business: Albany, Colonie, Niskayuna, Slingerlands, and North Greenbush.
The closures are due to underperforming sales, the report said.
ShopRite, which launched in the mid-1940s, has stores in six states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
Earlier report - Rite Aid Announces 20 NY Stores Slated For Closure After Declaring Bankruptcy
Click here to rea…
Cold Case Confession: NY Man Admits Stabbing Woman To Death 29 Years Later, Police Say
Nearly 30 years after a woman was found stabbed to death inside her home, a New York man has confessed to her murder following a DNA breakthrough.
Schenectady County resident Stephen Smerk, age 51, of Niskayuna, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the November 1994 killing of Robin Lawrence in Springfield, Virginia, police announced Monday, Sept. 11.
The 37-year-old mother was found dead from multiple stab wounds three days after the killing, on Nov. 20, 1994, according to police. Her 2-year-old daughter was also found in the home days later, unharmed.
Investigators devel…
Cold Case: Capital Region Man Confesses To Grisly 1994 Murder, Police Say
A 51-year-old man from the region has been arrested in a Virginia homicide, cracking a 29-year cold case, authorities announced.
Schenectady County resident Stephen Smerk, of Niskayuna, is facing second-degree manslaughter in the Nov. 20, 1994 death of 37-year-old Robin Lawrence, who was found dead in a Springfield, Virginia home, Fairfax County police said.
Smerk is believed to have stabbed Lawrence inside of her home, when he was 22 years old, authorities said.
In 1994, a DNA profile was developed; however, at the time there was no match in any system for the recovered DNA.
In the …
Drunk Driver Admits Causing Wrong-Way Crash In Region That Killed 'Glue To Our Families'
More than a year after a 68-year-old woman was killed in a wrong-way crash in the region by a drunk driver, the man responsible has admitted fault.
Mark Brodie, age 63, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to a host of charges, including aggravated vehicular homicide, in Schenectady County Court on Thursday, Feb. 9, in the death of Denise Guthinger.
Prosecutors said Brodie got behind the wheel on Oct. 29, 2021 after drinking alcohol and taking several controlled substances, including xanax and oxycodone. Shortly after 6 p.m., while driving in the Town of Niskayuna, he crossed the center line of…
Ex-Husband Breaks In, Attacks Woman's New BF With Wine Bottle In Capital Region, Police Say
An angry ex-husband is accused of breaking into a woman’s home in the region and assaulting her new boyfriend, authorities said.
Emergency crews in Saratoga County were called just before 1 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, with reports of an assault at a home in Ballston Spa, located on Victory Circle, according to Ballston Spa Police.
Investigators determined that William Ferrara, age 34, of Niskayuna, had entered the home without permission and assaulted his ex-wife’s new boyfriend with a wine bottle before fleeing the scene.
The victim suffered injuries to the back of his head and body. He was t…
Traffic Stop Leads To Felony Drug Charges For Capital District Man
A traffic stop in the Capital District ended with a man jailed on felony drug charges, authorities said.
State Police in Saratoga County stopped William Boyd, age 38, of Niskayuna, at around 9:40 a.m. Monday, Aug. 29, on I-87 in the town of Moreau.
Troopers had initially stopped Boyd for violating vehicle and traffic laws, police said.
During their interaction, however, troopers determined that he was in possession of a large quantity of cocaine, according to police.
Boyd was arrested on felony charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance.
He was arraigned at the Moreau Town …
