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Northern Westchester Man Sentenced To 17 Years In Prison For Setting Fire To Own Business Northern Westchester Man Sentenced To 17 Years In Prison For Setting Fire To Own Business
Northern Westchester Man Sentenced To 17 Years In Prison For Setting Fire To Own Business A Northern Westchester business owner was sentenced to 17 years in prison for setting fire to his own market, endangering a resident who lived above the store. Jesus Cruz, 44, of Peekskill, was sentenced Tuesday to the prison time along with five years post-release supervision for intentionally setting fire to a building where he had operated a market in the City of Newburgh, said the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Cruz was convicted after a jury trial of arson and reckless endangerment for the Sept. 22, 2017 fire, said the DA's Office. The jury found that Cruz ha…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Teen Charged In Arson That Caused $39K In Damage To Park In Northern Westchester Teen Charged In Arson That Caused $39K In Damage To Park In Northern Westchester
Teen Charged In Arson That Caused $39K In Damage To Park In Northern Westchester A months-long police investigation into an arson incident at a park in Northern Westchester has led to the arrest of a Putnam County teenager who caused nearly $40,000 in damages. Investigators from the Yorktown Police Department were dispatched to Shrub Oak Park at approximately 7:15 a.m. on Sept. 6, where there was a report of criminal mischief. Police said that the initial investigation determined that an unknown suspect had entered the pool area, and lit a fire that caused “extensive damage.” According to police, at approximately 10:25 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 21, an officer stopped a …

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by Zak Failla
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Four Teens Arrested For Fire At Historic Westchester Mansion Four Teens Arrested For Fire At Historic Westchester Mansion
Four Teens Arrested For Fire At Historic Westchester Mansion Four teenagers have been arrested in connection to the fire that broke out at a historic Westchester mansion that burned to the ground, police said. Dozens of firefighters responded to the Wildcliff Manor in New Rochelle shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 26, when a fire was reported at the building, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. On Wednesday, police said that four 13-year-olds are currently being held accountable for the fire. Three of the teenagers are facing trespassing charges and a fourth has also been charged with arson, police said. The…

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by Zak Failla
News
Police Probe Possible Causes Of Fire At Former Site Of Popular Restaurant Police Probe Possible Causes Of Fire At Former Site Of Popular Restaurant
Police Probe Possible Causes Of Fire At Former Site Of Popular Restaurant The two-alarm fire that destroyed a former popular restaurant that has sat abandoned since it closed in 2001 is under investigation. The Rusty Nail, known for its "hopping" happy hours, was destroyed by the fire during the early morning hours on Thursday in the town of Wallkill.  State Police, who assisted at the fire scene, said the origin of the fire at the three-story wood structure is under investigation and that "all" causes are on the table, including arson, said Trooper Stephen Nevel. The investigation is being conducted the Orange County Fire Investigation Unit, Neve…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Woman Accused Of Setting Two Fires In Hudson Valley Woman Accused Of Setting Two Fires In Hudson Valley
Woman Accused Of Setting Two Fires In Hudson Valley A 39-year-old woman has been accused of setting two fires in the Hudson Valley. Dana M. Weitlich of Wappingers Falls was arrested Tuesday and charged with arson and other related charges following an investigation into a series of incidents that occurred over the last several months in the Town of Wappinger, said the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office. As a result of the investigation, evidence was developed that Weitlich set fire to a structure located on a residential property and attempted to set a vehicle on fire.  She was charged with felony arson, felony criminal mischief, felony reckl…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Reward Offered For Arson Fire At Old Hudson River Psychiatric Center Reward Offered For Arson Fire At Old Hudson River Psychiatric Center
Reward Offered For Arson Fire At Old Hudson River Psychiatric Center This story has been updated. A $5,000 reward is being offered by developers of the old Hudson River Psychiatric Center to find out who intentionally set a four-alarm fire that Fairview firefighters are still monitoring for hot spots, said Fairview Fire District Chief Christopher Maeder. Fairview Firefighters were dispatched for a report of smoke in the area of Fulton Street around 4 a.m. Friday and found smoke coming from the area of the old Hudson River Psychiatric Center, Maeder said. Upon further investigation, a fire was found in the wing of the old main administration building. Additi…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Mom Who Killed Four Children In Fire To Live In Hudson Valley Mom Who Killed Four Children In Fire To Live In Hudson Valley
Mom Who Killed Four Children In Fire To Live In Hudson Valley A Rochester woman who set her home on fire in 2012, killing four of her six children, has been released from prison and will make the Hudson Valley home. Bobbie J. Kugler, 37, was released from Albion State Correctional Institution on Monday, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Spokesman Patrick Bailey. Bailey said Kugler, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, assault, and arson. in 2012, will live in Dutchess County.  Kugler told the court she was drunk and took sleeping and anxiety medication before the fire started around 1:30 a.m., on Feb. 18, 2012.…

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by Kathy Reakes