Fair 76°
Police & Fire
'Tis The Season For Scammers: AI Voices Increasingly Used To Victimize New Yorkers 'Tis The Season For Scammers: AI Voices Increasingly Used To Victimize New Yorkers
'Tis The Season For Scammers: AI Voices Increasingly Used To Victimize New Yorkers Police are sounding the alarm about a clever new way scammers are targeting New York residents this holiday season. In a warning issued Thursday, Nov. 16, Suffolk County Police on Long Island said scammers are increasingly using fake voices that are generated by artificial intelligence (AI) to dupe victims out of their money. To pull off the “spoofing” scam, criminals use AI tools to clone the voices of people who post on social media and then call their relatives pretending to be them. Police highlighted a recent example in which an 85-year-old Hauppauge man got a call from someone posing…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Violent Crime Down Across NY Compared To Last Year, New Report Shows Violent Crime Down Across NY Compared To Last Year, New Report Shows
Violent Crime Down Across NY Compared To Last Year, New Report Shows New York state is seeing fewer incidents of violent crime, according to a new report. Data from the first comprehensive overview of crime trends across the state showed a six-percent drop in violent crime outside of New York City during the first half of 2023 compared to the first six months of 2022, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday, Nov. 9. The data, which was collectively reported by police departments and sheriffs’ offices in 57 counties, showed decreases in each of the four violent crime categories. Murders were down 27 percent and rapes dropped 16 percent, the report showed. Robbe…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Westchester Rep. Bowman Charged With Misdemeanor After Pulling Fire Alarm: Report Westchester Rep. Bowman Charged With Misdemeanor After Pulling Fire Alarm: Report
Westchester Rep. Bowman Charged With Misdemeanor After Pulling Fire Alarm: Report New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman has been criminally charged with a misdemeanor after pulling a fire alarm at a congressional building in Washington, DC while rushing to make a vote, according to a report by NBC News.  New, updated report - New Update: Westchester Rep. Bowman To Pay Fine After Pulling Fire Alarm, He Says Bowman (NY-16), a Democrat, now faces a charge of falsely pulling a firearm in connection to an incident that happened on Saturday, Sept. 30, NBC News reported.  The 16th district is made up of the southern part of Westchester County, including the suburban citie…

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by Ben Crnic
Politics
Familiar Face Throws Hat In Ring For Congressional Seat Now Held By Embattled George Santos Familiar Face Throws Hat In Ring For Congressional Seat Now Held By Embattled George Santos
Familiar Face Throws Hat In Ring For Congressional Seat Now Held By Embattled George Santos Former New York Rep. Tom Suozzi is officially jostling for his old job, joining nearly two dozen other political hopefuls looking to ouster embattled Long Island Congressman George Santos from office in 2024. Suozzi, a Democrat who represented the 3rd District covering parts of Nassau County and Queens from 2016 to 2022, formally announced his run Tuesday, Oct. 10. “The madness in Washington, DC, and the absurdity of George Santos remaining in the United States Congress is obvious to everyone,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Former New York Rep. Tom Suozzi.US House Office …

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Pot Shop Employee Busted Selling To Hudson Valley Minors, Police Say Pot Shop Employee Busted Selling To Hudson Valley Minors, Police Say
Pot Shop Employee Busted Selling To Hudson Valley Minors, Police Say A Hudson Valley pot shop employee was busted for allegedly selling marijuana to minors during an investigation by a drug task force. Vikasreddy Sumreddy, age 25, from the City of Poughkeepsie, was arrested in Dutchess County in the town of East Fishkill on Tuesday, Sept. 26. He was charged with three counts of criminal sale of cannabis, said Det. Lt. Adam Harris of the Dutchess County Drug Task Force. Additional charges may be pending, Harris said. During the month of September, the task force conducted an investigation into cannabis dealers in East Fishkill after receiving complaints…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
Target To Close Stores In 4 States, Including NY, Citing Theft, Organized Retail Crime Target To Close Stores In 4 States, Including NY, Citing Theft, Organized Retail Crime
Target To Close Stores In 4 States, Including NY, Citing Theft, Organized Retail Crime Citing incidents involving violence and theft, Target announced it is closing nine stores in four states, including one in New York. The New York store is in Manhattan, at 517 E 117th St. Three other stores are in California, in the San Francisco/Oakland market, and three in Oregon, in Portland. The other two stores are in Seattle, Washington. "We cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance," the company said in a statement released Tuesday afternoo…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Disturbance Ends With Stabbing, 2 Hit By Car, Numerous Assaults, Police Say Hudson Valley Disturbance Ends With Stabbing, 2 Hit By Car, Numerous Assaults, Police Say
Hudson Valley Disturbance Ends With Stabbing, 2 Hit By Car, Numerous Assaults, Police Say One man is in critical condition and others were injured during a disturbance in the Hudson Valley. The incident took place in Dutchess County around 3:10 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 20, in the city of Poughkeepsie. According to Det. Lt. Matt Clark of the Poughkeepsie Police, a disturbance began in the area of Pershing Avenue Park and ended east of Pershing Avenue on the westbound arterial with two vehicles driving the wrong way against traffic, one of which struck two people, and another vehicle.  Several people were assaulted during this disturbance with one subject being stabbed with a knif…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Child Sex: Hudson Valley Man Charged With Assault Of 10-Year-Old Girl, DA Says Child Sex: Hudson Valley Man Charged With Assault Of 10-Year-Old Girl, DA Says
Child Sex: Hudson Valley Man Charged With Assault Of 10-Year-Old Girl, DA Says A Hudson Valley man is behind bars after allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl. Orange County resident Dylan M. Benner, age 21, of Middletown, was charged with predatory sexual assault against a child on Thursday, Aug. 3, said District Attorney David M. Hoovler and City of Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden. Benner was arraigned and remanded to the Orange County Jail without bail. Police allege that on or about Tuesday, Aug. 1, Benner solicited the child and met her in Port Jervis where he engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim, the DA's office said. The C…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
'How I Met Gilgo Beach Murderer': Northern Westchester Woman Reveals Chilling Story 'How I Met Gilgo Beach Murderer': Northern Westchester Woman Reveals Chilling Story
'How I Met Gilgo Beach Murderer': Northern Westchester Woman Reveals Chilling Story A shaken Hudson Valley interior designer who met suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann through a business networking group described him as "creepy," and a "weirdo." Northern Westchester resident Dominique Michelle Vidal, said in a TikTok video she met with the hulking man just months before he was scooped up by police as the prime suspect in three Long Island murders, and is a suspect in a fourth. A fact that didn't surprise her after her weird and uncomfortable meetings with Heuermann, Vidal said. Earlier story - Gilgo Beach Murders: Pizza Crust Helped Nab Suspect Who Alleg…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Update: Hudson Valley Teen Stabbed To Death ID'd Update: Hudson Valley Teen Stabbed To Death ID'd
Update: Hudson Valley Teen Stabbed To Death ID'd Police have identified a teen who died from a stab wound during an incident in the Hudson Valley that left two others seriously injured.  Orange County resident Destin Rabess, age 18, of Montgomery was killed around 2:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 12 in Port Jervis. Port Jervis Police learned of the death and injured when they responded to Bon Secours Community Hospital located at 160 East Main St., Port Jervis, for a report of three patients in the emergency department with stab wounds, said Lt. Christopher Sargente with the Port Jervis Police.  Police initiated a…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Here's Percentage Of New Yorkers Worried About Becoming Crime Victims, New Poll Finds Here's Percentage Of New Yorkers Worried About Becoming Crime Victims, New Poll Finds
Here's Percentage Of New Yorkers Worried About Becoming Crime Victims, New Poll Finds More than half of New Yorkers fear they may become a victim of a crime, a new Siena College poll finds. The poll, released Wednesday, July 12, found that 61 percent of state residents are either very (21 percent) or somewhat (40 percent) worried about becoming a crime victim. Researchers also found that 51 percent of New Yorkers have been worried about their safety, or their family’s safety, in public places. Thirty-six percent of respondents said they’ve felt threatened by a stranger’s behavior in public in the past year. That growing concern was reflected in people’s purchasing decision…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Fatal Hit-Run In Westchester: Victim ID'd, Unlicensed 24-Year-Old Suspect Nabbed Fatal Hit-Run In Westchester: Victim ID'd, Unlicensed 24-Year-Old Suspect Nabbed
Fatal Hit-Run In Westchester: Victim ID'd, Unlicensed 24-Year-Old Suspect Nabbed An unlicensed suspect has been apprehended and a victim identified after a fatal hit-and-run crash in Westchester County. It happened just before 9:40 a.m. Friday, June 23 in Yonkers. Upon arrival, first responders located an unresponsive victim down in the street with blunt force trauma to his body; he was transported to a local area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the Yonkers Police Department said.  The vehicle that allegedly struck him fled the area prior to police arrival.  Officers cordoned off the scene and initiated accident and criminal investigations.…

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by Joe Lombardi