A Match.com Scam and a Nasty Parking Incident: Greenburgh and Scarsdale Police Report

Car Wash? You risk more than getting stuck in traffic when shopping on Central Avenue. On Sunday February 13, Alexa Guarino of Pleasantville parked her BMW in the lot at the Christmas Tree Shop at 393 North Central Avenue. An aggravated woman approached her and claimed that Guarino had taken her parking spot. Guarino ignored her and watched from the store as the woman drove away in a black Honda Accord. When Guarino returned to her car, she noticed that a similar BMW was parked next to her and it was covered with Tide detergent. A witness who had been in the lot at the same time saw the angry woman return to the lot and pour the detergent on the car. The owner of the sudsy BMW was contacted and said she would take it to get washed. Though police have the license plate number of the suspect she had an unlisted phone number and they were unable to reach her.

Burglary at the Scarsdale Golf Club: In the early morning hours of February 7, someone entered a rear door of the Scarsdale Golf Club and stole two television sets, each valued at $250. The crime was captured on videotape and reported to police by Bruce Gilmore who works as the Maintenance Manager at the club.

Drunk Driver: At 2 am on February 10, Daniel Appelman, age 29 of Garth Road Scarsdale was stopped by police on Central Avenue and found to be inebriated with a BAC level of .23%. He was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and speeding.

Fight! At 1:20 am on February 11, a group of young adults got into a fight in a parking lot at 1075 South Central Avenue. Katianne Bellantoni age 19 of Tuckahoe was speaking to her ex-boyfriend Robert Dante Cacace age 20 of Yonkers when a car with three other young adults drove up. According to Bellantoni, Melissa Murphy, age 21 of Grand Boulevard, Scarsdale yelled at Bellantoni, punched her in the right eye and pulled her hair until the others broke up the fight. Though she does not wish to press charges for assault, Bellantoni wanted police to document the incident.

Smokin': Police arrested James Frank, age 53 of Hartsdale for smoking a joint in the parking lot of Fieldstone Drive on Saturday morning 2/12. He was taken to headquarters and released on $50 bail pending a court date.

Inside Job: John Lyons of New Rochelle came to police on 2/12 to report that items were stolen from his car when it was parked at 2 Fountain Lane in Scarsdale on Superbowl Sunday, 2/6. He was attending a party at the apartment of his ex-girlfriend, and he suspects that during the game, his ex stole items that belonged to his new girlfriend from the car.

Gas Leak: On Monday afternoon 2/7, due to a gas leak on Scarsdale Farms Road the fire department needed to get into several houses to check for the source of the leak. No one was home at 19 Scarsdale Farms Road, and the fire department entered through the garage to inspect. No leak was found.

From the Scarsdale Police:

Scammed: A 26-year-old Scarsdale resident was the victim of a scam when he met a Delaware woman on Match.com. The young man became acquainted with a woman over the internet and traveled to Delaware to meet his match. However, she had misrepresented herself and was actually 45 years old and had shown pictures of someone else on her profile. She followed him north to Greenburgh where he paid her expenses and she started harassing him on his cell phone, at work and via the mail.

He contacted the Scarsdale police because the woman and a friend of hers were repeatedly making bogus phone calls to his office claiming to be from the N.Y. Supreme Court and the State of New York District Court. In addition the schemers sent the young man a Fedex package at his home. Inside the package was a letter from “Scarsdale Justice Court” requesting a payment of $1,000 for a civil judgment. On February 7, in response to the complaint from the Scarsdale man, the Scarsdale police contacted the woman and advised her to cease all phone call or contact with the young man.

Robbed: Greenacres residents were robbed sometime between 9 am and 2:50 pm on February 8th. Suspects forced open a porch door of the Brewster Road home and stole jewelry valued at $15,000 plus all of the family’s passports and a social security card. Police are investigating those who had recent access to the house.

Vandalized: Two cars parked in the lot at the Scarsdale Alternative School were vandalized on the night of February 7th. The front passenger window of a 2010 Infiniti was shattered and a play station game, valued at $200 was stolen from the car. In addition, the passenger side door window of a 2007 Honda was broken and a Toshiba laptop and a tote bag were stolen.

Money Trouble: A 79 year-old Aspen Road woman reported that someone had stolen one of her personal checks, filled it out for $7,000 and attempted to cash it. Chase Bank called her on 2/1/11 to verify the transaction but when the Scarsdale woman said she did not issue the check, they denied the transaction. She came to headquarters to make the report on February 7th.

Violeta Lopez of Peekskill, NY came to police headquarters on the afternoon of 2/11 claiming that someone had withdrawn $600 from her Chase Bank account without her permission. In order for Chase to review the video of transactions, Lopez needed to file a police report and have it sent to Chase for processing.

Lost: Richard Schechner of Montgomery Road Scarsdale reported that his license plate and bracket were taken from his car when it was parked on Depot place on the night of February 7th.

Found: Mr. Lavi of Kingston Road found a purple bag in front of his house on February 8 and contacted the police. The bag contained schoolwork, a zip drive and business cards. Police were able to track down the owner of the bag in Armonk who explained that the bag had been stolen from her car on February 7 when it was parked in White Plains. She came to Scarsdale police headquarters to claim on the night of 2/8.

Frances Tussing of Cohawney Road found a wallet in the backseat of a cab on East Parkway on February 7th. She turned the wallet over to police who contacted the owner, a White Plains woman.

Accidents: Richard Otake of Garth Road could not decide whether to go right or left at the intersection of Fenimore Road and the Bronx River Parkway, and as a result, he hit the median and struck a stop sign on February 11.

Joann Roche of Hartsdale was walking on Depot Place with a shopping cart on Friday afternoon 2/11, when a car turned and hit her cart and caused her to fall. She complained of pain in her right leg and was taken to White Plains hospital.

Daniel Centonze of Garth Road had a collision with a garbage truck around noon on Friday 2/11. Centonze was attempting to pass the truck on Wilmot Road, when the driver of the garbage truck opened the door and Centonze’s side mirror hit the door.

Two cars collided at the intersection of Brewster Road and Fenimore Road at 4 pm on 2/9. A car of teens was travelling north on Brewster ran into a car at the intersection of Fenimore. No one was seriously injured and Police contacted the parents of the teens to pick them up.

A 17 year-old girl from Black Walnut Road slipped on ice on East Parkway on Wednesday 2/9 and was hit by a passing truck. The girl stepped off the curb and waved for the truck to pass her, but as he passed, she fell and the rear wheel of the truck hit her foot. She was taken to White Plains hospital by SVAC.

A man driving a moped at 6:45 pm on Monday 2/7 was hit by a 2010 Lexus driven by a Ferncliff Road woman. The man was thrown from the bike and complained of pain in his right arm and shoulder but refused medial assistance. The accident occurred at the intersection of Boulevard and Nelson Roads.

Gun: On February 13, the son of a Wakefield Road man who recently passed away turned in his father’s revolver for safekeeping until he could have it licensed.

Coyote Watch: a coyote was reported walking north on Brite Avenue at 10:51 am on 2/9.