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Woman Admits Setting Fire To Hudson Valley Home With Daughter, Grandchildren Inside, DA Says
A woman has pleaded guilty to attempted arson in connection with intentionally setting fire to a Hudson Valley home with her and her grandchildren inside.
Niagara County resident Itita Washington-Thompson, age 48, of Niagara, made the plea on Monday, Sept. 16, said Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi.
Parisi said: "This case is a chilling example of how a domestic incident or dispute can escalate to dangerous extremes."
The incident occurred on Friday, May 24, at Hammersley Avenue in Poughkeepsie.
According to officials and court documents, Washington-Thompson…
Fatal Fire: 2 Escape Jail After Blaze Claiming Lives Of Hudson Valley Firefighter, Other Man
Two rabbis who pleaded guilty to a fatal fire at an adult home in the Hudson Valley have escaped jail time through a plea deal.
Rockland County residents Nathaniel Sommer, age 72, of Monsey, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, June 20 to two counts of second-degree manslaughter and is expected to be sentenced to five years probation, said Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh.
His son, Aaron Sommer, age 29, also of Monsey, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree reckless endangerment, which carries a sentence of three years probation, Walsh added.
The fire, which took place around…
Firefighters Snuff Out Chimney Fire In Northern Westchester, Warn About Keeping Them Clean
A chimney fire in Northern Westchester serves as an example of what happens when a chimney is kept unclean, according to one fire department.
On Friday, Nov. 25, around 5:30 p.m., firefighters responded to a reported chimney fire at a home in Somers on Primrose Street, according to the Somers Volunteer Fire Department.
After arriving at the residence, firefighters found embers coming out of the chimney, accompanied by a "strange noise," fire officials said.
Firefighters then removed burning material from the home's firebox, and put their "chimney snuffer" into operation, …
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.…
Mahwah Woman, 87, Severely Burned When Robe Catches Fire
MAHWAH, N.J. -- An 87-year-old Mahwah woman suffered second- and third-degree burns after her robe caught fire Saturday as she tried to avoid a spilling pot of boiling water, authorities said.
The woman's 84-year-old sister doused the flames, which didn't extend to their home in Bogert's Trailer Ranch on Pulis Avenue, Lt. Jeff Dino said.
The victim was boiling a pot of water on the stove just before noon at Bogert's Trailer Ranch when it suddenly spilled, Dino said.
As she spun to get out of the way, her robe landed on the stove, where it caught fire, he said.
Flames were climbing her bac…