Scarsdale Police arrest driver for leaving scene of accident

Woman arrested for leaving scene of accident: Shortly before 10 a.m., April 18, an accident occurred at the intersection of Boulevard and Post Road which resulted in one driver going to the hospital and the other driver being arrested for leaving the scene of the accident. According to the accident report, a 1999 Saab travelling on Post Road struck a 2009 Honda turning left from Boulevard. The driver of the Saab stopped briefly, got out of the car while on a cell phone, and then drove away. She headed south on Post Road toward Eastchester. This was observed by the Honda driver and several other witnesses. The driver of the Honda, a 94-year-old Scarsdale man, suffered facial lacerations and was taken to White Plains Hospital Center by Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Scarsdale police advised Eastchester police about the accident, and Eastchester police canvassed their jurisdiction for the car. Approximately 30 minutes later, Eastchester police found the woman's Saab at a Mobil gas station on White Plains Road. Surveillance video at the gas station captured, first, the Saab entering the gas station lot the wrong way. Second, video captured the driver getting out of the car and running away by foot. A witness viewed this surveillance footage and positively identified the Saab's driver as the same driver involved in the Post Road accident. The car was towed to a police impound lot. Police removed the driver's wallet, her New York State learner's permit and other personal items from her car and held these items for safekeeping. Police contacted the driver – Jenny Alves, 37, of Mount Vernon. Alves surrendered herself at headquarters at 5 p.m., April 18, accompanied by her lawyer and a friend. She was charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, unlicensed driving and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. She was released on $500 cash bail and issued an appearance ticket for Scarsdale Village Justice Court.

Teacher harassed
On April 17, a teacher reported the impression of being followed for approximately one month. Toward the end of March, on two separate days, after returning to her car at the end of the school day, she observed green chewing gum stuck to the driver's side door handle of her car. On April 9 or 10, the teacher said she visited the Lord and Taylor store in Eastchester and, upon returning to the parking lot, observed similar green gum stuck to her car's driver's door handle. On April 14, after finishing work, the teacher saw three magnets stuck to her car, as well as a stuffed kangaroo placed under her car's windshield. A Post-it note next to the kangaroo read "This is for u" followed by a heart symbol. On April 16 and 17, printouts of a class photo from a Scarsdale High School yearbook were placed under her office door. Each printout had the sentence "I love Rottweilers" written on it. The teacher said she did not understand the significance of the various items left on her car. Police classified the incidents as stalking. They are following up.

Car submerged
A Scarsdale High School senior found his car submerged in the high school parking lot after heavy rains on Monday. He parked it in the lot at 8:45 am Monday taking the last spot in the senior lot. Just after 4th period, at 11:45 am, he went outside and found water over the level of the tail pipe of the car. By noon other students were jumping their cars to get them out of the flood but it was too late for his car which is most likely totaled. Parents received an apologetic call from the Assistant Principal.

Unwanted calls
On April 13, an Edgewood woman reported receiving three unwanted phone calls from a man who identified himself as "Paul." The man said he had divorce paperwork that the woman needed to sign. When she advised the man she did not know what he was talking about, the man threatened to arrest her. Police advised the woman to contact her cell phone service provider to block calls from the man's number.

Fraudulent tax returns
This week, eleven residents reported fraudulent tax returns were filed in their names, using their Social Security numbers. Most of these residents – on Walworth Avenue, Spruce, Church and Black Birch lanes and Brown, Heathcote, Cushman, Hampton, Lincoln, Franklin and White roads – discovered the existence of the fraudulent returns when they attempted to file legitimate returns. Fraudulent tax returns are a growing iteration of identity theft. In these situations, suspects file fraudulent returns with fake income figures in an attempt to collect refund checks from the Internal Revenue Service.

Bias incident
During an April 14 SAT prep course taking place in the school section of Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El, on Ogden Road temple, an individual found a child's wooden building block with the words "Hitler was good" written on it. The block was turned over to security at the temple, who in turn notified the police. It is unknown how long the block was there, and although there does not appear to be any evidentiary value in it, police took it as evidence. No other writings were discovered, and the investigation is ongoing.

Kids
At a mother's request, police spoke with a 12-year-old Quaker Ridge boy at 10: 30 p.m., April 14, and advised him on the importance of going to bed and going to school. Before patrol left the family's house, the boy stated he would go to bed and go to school the next morning.

A 10-year-old Greenacres girl told police a man made threatening gestures to her from a car window while she was walking on Montrose Road at 4:45 p.m., April 16. According to the girl, a black sedan with tinted windows pulled up next her. She said a Hispanic man with a shaved head rolled down the rear driver's side window and positioned his hands in the form of a gun. The man pretended to shoot the girl and blow smoke from the tip of his finger, representing the gun's barrel. The girl said the man laughed, and the car drove away. Police are following up with increased patrols.

On April 17, a father reported his two Quaker Ridge children, ages 14 and 12, were having a "physical altercation," and the "housekeeper was unable to control them." The father was not home with his children when he called police. Police arrived at the house, and an older sister and younger brother told police they had been arguing over the brother being in the sister's room. The housekeeper said the argument was verbal, and no physical fighting had occurred. No one on scene requested further police intervention.

Rolex
A suspicious man attempted to purchase a Rolex watch from Wilson & Son Jewelers on Chase Road by using a possibly fake driver's license and credit card April 17. The man – described as a heavyset black man with a California driver's license – said he was in town visiting friends and decided to purchase a watch. The owner of the store showed the man an $11,650 Rolex watch and engaged him in conversation. The owner became suspicious due to the man's purported residence in California, the man's overall demeanor and the owner's own experience with previous Rolex customers. The man presented the owner with a credit card to purchase the $11,650 watch. The owner said there was an issue with the card, and it could not be used to purchase the watch. The man then said he would pay cash and asked for the location of the nearest Citibank. After being directed to a Citibank location, the man left the store and did not return. Police advised other local jewelry stores about the incident.

Lawn clippings
Police were called to mediate a dispute between a Madison Road family and their Grand Boulevard neighbor over the placement of lawn clippings April 16. Police observed lawn clippings at the juncture of the two yards. Police suggested each family place all lawn clippings on their respective yards. Each family agreed to this resolution.

Photo
A caller saw a man in a white sweatshirt taking pictures of houses on Murray Hill Road April 16. Responding to police questions, the man in the white sweatshirt said he had just finished a job on Murray Hill Road and decided to photograph a house he liked while walking to the bus stop. Patrol spoke with the man's boss who confirmed the job's location that day. Patrol advised the man to refrain from taking pictures of houses in the future.

Death
Edward Kerr, 86, of Fox Meadow Road died at home April 15.

Shelter
At 1:30 a.m., April 17, a homeless person requested assistance in finding a place to sleep for the night. Police contacted a White Plains shelter that had space to take in the person for the night.

Broken glass
A Mamaroneck Road resident reported hearing a loud noise in the vicinity of her basement at 1:12 a.m., April 18. Police investigated the perimeter of the house and discovered broken Plexiglas near a basement window well. Apparently, over time, a rock placed on top of the piece of Plexiglas had crushed the Plexiglas with its weight. There was no sign of criminal activity.

Lights
A woman called police to alert officers that her 84-year-old husband's car was parked on the second floor of Freightway garage, and her husband needed help turning off the lights at 12:20 a.m., April 19. Police met with the woman's husband who was able to rectify the situation without police assistance.

Scofflaw
While issuing a parking summons for an expired meter to the owner of a 2007 Chevrolet parked on East Parkway April 17, police discovered the car was associated with $380 in unpaid parking tickets. The parking enforcement officer called a tow truck to impound the car, but the driver left with the car before the tow arrived. The officer was unable to speak with the driver about the unpaid parking tickets.

Suspended registration
Police stopped a 2005 Acura for speeding on Post Road and discovered the driver had a suspended registration at 1 a.m., April 18. Three suspensions were issued as follows: on March 11 for a "parking violation suspension – 5 tickets/notices of suspension within 12 months," on Jan. 2, 2014 for "failure to pay a driver responsibility assessment" and on Nov. 14, 2014 for failure to resolve a "pending submission to court, out of state." While speaking with the driver – Ryan J. Melahn, 27, of Carmel – police detected a slight odor of alcohol coming from the car. Patrol asked Melahn to perform field sobriety tests, which Melahn successfully completed. Patrol confiscated the car's license plates and had the car towed to a private residence in Yonkers, at Melahn's request. Police issued Melahn three summonses – for speeding in zone, operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended registration and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Melahn was issued an appearance ticket for Scarsdale Village Justice Court on April 29.

Accident
Using registration information, Connecticut State police traced a car involved in an accident to a Tunstall Road address. April 18. They asked Scarsdale police to go to the house and inform the car's owner to get in touch with Connecticut State police. Connecticut State police instructed the man to return to their jurisdiction with his car. Scarsdale police documented visible damage on the car, in case it might be related to the accident.

Cars and roadways
Cars parked on both sides of Hampton Road posed a potential disruption to passing traffic at 9 a.m., April 14. Patrol asked the principal of a nearby school to alert drivers to park their cars on only one side of Hampton Road.

Police notified Verizon and put caution tape on a low hanging wire on Heathcote Road April 14.

A legally parked minivan was extending farther into the roadway than other parked cars on Woodland Place April 15. Police issued a parking warning.

A concerned caller reported an elderly woman driving erratically in a silver BMW on Wilmot Road April 16. Police initiated a traffic stop on Weaver Street, with cooperation from New Rochelle police department. The woman told police officers she had been in New Rochelle for a hair appointment and had just stopped at the post office to mail a letter. She said she was driving her son's car, and a shoulder injury may have been causing her to swerve a little while driving.

Police helped Westchester County police close the southbound ramp of the Hutchinson River Parkway due to a truck striking a low bridge April 17. Because of height restrictions, trucks are not permitted on the HRP.

On April 18, police placed traffic cones around a disabled car on Mamaroneck Road while the owner waited for help from AAA.

Police removed dangling cable wires from Palmer Avenue and notified Con Edison about a fallen electrical wire on the street April 18.

On April 19, police encountered a driver with a disabled car on Heathcote Road. The driver said AAA had been dispatched, but their estimated arrival was about an hour later. Police offered to dispatch their duty tow truck to help the woman. The duty tow truck driver responded immediately. The woman was grateful because she had small children in her car.

This week, seven car accidents were reported in the village.

Animals
A Brite Avenue woman reported a Rottweiler was sitting on her front lawn April 13. Patrol determined the dog belonged to a Hampton Road resident. The woman called the dog's owner, who came to pick up the dog.

A Cooper Road resident complained about outdoor noises from an animal at 3 a.m., April 14. Police checked the area but could neither pinpoint the location of the noises nor discern from which animal the noises were coming.

Police issued a summons to a Fairview Road resident who left barking dogs outside April 14.

A woman said a loose dog jumped on her while she was out walking in the area of Eastwoods and Forest lanes April 16. A nearby contractor took control of the dog and held it until police arrived. The woman told police the dog did not bite her, and its owner had already been notified. When the owner arrived, she told police the dog must have mistakenly gotten out of the Forest Lane property where she lived. Police issued the woman a warning for having a dog at large.

A Woods Lane homeowner found a loose dog in her yard April 17. Police called the dog's owner, and the owner picked up the dog.

Noise
At 7:45 a.m., April 18, a Brite Avenue caller complained about noise coming from a neighbor's yard. The noise was caused by a group of girls having a slumber party. The homeowner apologized for the noise and promised to keep the party quiet.

Civil matter
On April 14, a Black Birch Lane man reported he did not like the attitude of a Sears refrigerator installation employee and requested police assistance. The man claimed he asked the employee to leave his house, and he said the employee "refused." After speaking with the employee, police determined that the employee did not actually refuse to leave. Instead, the employee advised he needed a minute to comply with the request to leave, in order to prevent the refrigerator door from falling on his co-worker. After the door was safely placed into position, the employee left the man's house and waited in the truck until the completion of the installation job. Police advised the man to call Sears regarding any complaints about their technicians.

Lost and found
A woman found money in Balducci's parking lot and brought it to headquarters April 14. Dispatch contacted a Balducci's manager who said no one had reported losing money there. Later, a resident called headquarters to report he lost cash in Balducci's parking lot. He was able to verify the amount, the form in which the cash was found and where he had parked his car. He came to headquarters and retrieved his lost cash.

A wallet was found on East Parkway April 14. Police examined the wallet for ID information and called its owner, a Yonkers woman. She subsequently picked up her wallet from headquarters.

A Paddington Road man reported losing his driver's license, but he was unsure about where he lost it April 19.

A girl reported losing her black iPhone 6 in a white case April 17.

Firefighters
A Springdale Road resident smelled a possible odor coming from her refrigerator April 13. Firefighters examined the refrigerator and did not detect any danger or obvious malfunction. Firefighters advised the homeowner to call for service.
Firefighters helped Con Edison check a Haverford Road house for a possible natural gas leak April 14.

Firefighters shut the water supply to an outdoor irrigation system in a Sprague Road house because the system was making unusual noises April 15. Firefighters advised the homeowner to call for service.

A Heathcote Road resident reported an outdoor odor of natural gas April 15. Firefighters stood by for Con Edison.

Firefighters stood by for Con Edison at the site of a natural gas leak at Edgewood and Hamilton roads April 15.

Firefighters checked a Dickel Road house after residents reported a possible gas odor April 18. Firefighters did not detect any gas readings or find any evidence of a leak.

A leaking compressor set off a false fire alarm in a Palmer Avenue building April 18. Firefighters notified the building manager for follow up.

Firefighters notified Con Edison about detached electrical wires at a Heathcote Road house April 19. They shut breakers at the main panel.

This week, firefighters assisted with car accidents in the village. They responded to two false carbon monoxide alarms and 15 false fire and/or heat alarms caused by device malfunction, hair dryer heat, cooking smoke, shower steam, exhaust from power tools, construction dust and a resident changing batteries.

This report covering police and fire department activity from April 13-19 was compiled from official information.

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