Burglars on Cushman Road damage house, break alarm system, steal watches and jewels

Police responded to a burglar alarm at a Cushman Road house at 7:15 p.m., Dec. 5. Police discovered a rear door pried open, with extensive damage to the door. Police set up a perimeter while patrol units checked the house. White Plains police assisted and brought a tracking dog, but the dog was unable to detect a scent. The master bedroom, on the first floor, and second-floor bedrooms were ransacked. The alarm panel and alarm siren had been ripped from the walls. In addition, police found two damaged "magician boxes" and several open and empty Rolex boxes on the floor. Detectives took DNA swabs and parts of the damaged alarm system to aid in their investigation. Detectives are following up.

Stolen packages
On Dec. 2, a Drake Road resident reported someone stole three packages from his front porch shortly after the packages had been delivered. Two packages, containing $150 in cosmetics, were from Neiman Marcus. One package contained a $180 North Face jacket from Bloomingdale's.

Stolen wallet
On Dec. 5, a Walworth Avenue man reported his wallet was stolen in New York City the previous night. It contained his driver's license, credit cards, a monthly train pass and $17 cash. Police advised the man he should file a report in New York City, in the jurisdiction where the robbery occurred.

Identity theft
On Nov. 30, a Brookby Road woman reported someone fraudulently charged over $9,000 on her Bloomingdale's account at the store in Bergen County, New Jersey. The charges occurred earlier in the month. The woman informed Bloomingdales and cancelled the account.

On Dec. 1, a Parkfield Road resident reported receiving two credit cards in the mail for which she never applied. One was a TJ Maxx MasterCard, and the other was a Modells Visa card. The cards were mailed to the resident's business address in New Rochelle. The resident reported the cards as fraudulent and cancelled them.

On Dec. 1, a Christie Place resident reported $70,000 was withdrawn from his retirement account and fraudulently deposited into a Well Fargo bank account. He reported it to the manger of his retirement account, and the company's fraud department is looking into the matter.

On Dec. 5, a Circle Lane couple reported someone requested a second credit card on their Chase credit card account, without their permission or authorization. The card had been sent to a person in Brooklyn. The bank cancelled the card when they called the couple on Nov. 30 to verify the request. A few days later, the couple received a similar call from Citibank. The second Citibank card was also sent to a person in Brooklyn, and the bank cancelled the card after speaking with the couple. On Dec. 5, the couple received a call from Chase bank, inquiring about the validity of a $2,000 payment through Quickpay. The couple told Chase to cancel the payment. The suspect was able to infiltrate the couple's accounts by using a call forwarding feature on the couple's home phone number and by changing the email address on the account.

Check fraud
An Ogden Road man was contacted by Citibank on Nov. 18 because a person cashed two forged checks at an undisclosed location, and a third check was presented for payment but denied. The checks looked like the man's checks, but the signatures on the checks did not appear authentic. The man was still in possession of the original check numbers for which the fake checks were presented. The incident was reported to Scarsdale police Dec. 4. The man's bank had since closed his account and issued him new checks.

On Dec. 5, a Heathcote Road man reported someone forged nine HSBC checks in his name and was able to cash six of those checks. The checks were written to people the man does not know. The man stated his wife was a victim of a similar crime approximately one month ago.

Criminal mischief
On Nov. 30, an employee at Scarsdale Friends Nursery School reported playground equipment had been vandalized, possibly by skateboarders. Deep scratches were found on the benches, tables, a sliding board and other playground equipment. The approximate damage to the equipment was estimated at approximately $1,600.
On Dec. 5, a "do not enter" sign was found lying on the Scarsdale track. While removing the sign, police noticed more damage to the track area. Four trashcans were flipped over, with trash and debris scatted on the ground near the cans. A park bench was ripped from the ground where it had been secured with brackets and bolts. Later, police discovered the original "don not enter" sign had been removed from a small bus circle near the gymnasium entrance.

A Coralyn Road woman reported a friend's car was keyed while the car was parked in her driveway Nov. 30. Police advised the woman to ask her friend to file a report when the friend and her car were in Scarsdale again, so police could examine and document the damage.

Altercation
On Dec. 2, the assistant manager of Fenway Golf Club wanted to report an altercation with one of his employees during a conversation about an upcoming party. Patrol attempted to speak with the employee, but the employee was not on the scene. Patrol advised the assistant manager to stay away from the employee.

Suspicious
While on burglary patrol, police notices a man riding a bicycle on Post Road at 9:30 p.m., Dec. 2. First the man was riding south on the sidewalk; then he crossed Post Road, made a U-turn and continued riding north. Later patrol saw the same bicycle unattended in front of a Post Road house. While observing the bicycle, the man returned to it, got on and started riding north. Police stopped the man and questioned him. He said he had left his house to take care of some business. Then, he said he was visiting a friend but could not remember the friend's address. Patrol asked him if the friend lived nearby, in Scarsdale. The man said his friend lived in White Plains. The man said he stopped the bike in front of the Post Road house to check a safe lying by the side of the road. The man said the safe was not in good condition, so he left it there. Patrol issued the man a summons for riding his bicycle against traffic. Patrol went to the Post Road house and saw a safe at the curb, as the man had stated. A person inside the house said she had discarded the safe because she got a new one.
A passerby was concerned about a small case left outside Dunkin Donuts on Depot Place Dec. 3. It was a cosmetic bag containing trash. Police discarded it.
A Boulevard resident reported someone was ringing his doorbell but left before the resident could answer the door at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 4.

Damaged bluestone
A bluestone cap on a retaining wall lining a Brook Lane driveway was discovered damaged Dec. 5. The homeowner thinks the stone might have been damaged by a car turning around in his driveway. Cost of damage was estimated at $500. The homeowner reported it for insurance purposes.

Help
Police helped an Alzheimer's patient get home after she was found, disoriented, at Popham Road and School Lane Dec. 3.

On Dec. 4, police helped mediate a situation involving a resident of a group home on Post Road. The resident was frustrated because she might be moved to a different room and thus lose her roommate. She said she did not know how to control her emotions, so she was yelling and throwing things. She told police she would get herself under control and stop causing a disturbance.

Insurance lapse
While conducting traffic enforcement, police encountered a car with a suspended registration on Post Road Dec. 6. The registration had been suspended for an insurance lapse on Oct. 11, 2015. A further check of the driver's license revealed his driving privileges had been suspended seven times on five different dates. Police arrested the driver – Michael McNair, 27, of Spring Valley, on charges of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, with three or more suspensions on three or more dates. McNair was released on $100 cash bail with an appearance ticket for Scarsdale Village Justice Court. His car was impounded, pending the resolution of the outstanding suspensions.

Cars and roadways
A Woods Lane mother accidentally locked her son and her car keys inside her car Nov. 30. The owner of Heathcote Gulf arrived to open the car door. The child was unharmed.
On Dec. 1, a driver pulled to the side of Hutchinson Avenue to avoid a stopped car on the road, and the driver's car got caught on some loose boulders. Heathcote Gulf responded to pull the car loose from the boulders.

A car stopped n Springdale Road around 9 p.m., Dec. 2, belonged to a village resident who pulled over to smoke a cigarette and program a destination in his GPS.

After a driver complained about a small dip in the roadway at Drake and Ferncliff roads, police put a traffic cone in place and alerted the highway department Dec. 2.

Three off-road motorcycles were being driven on George Field Park after dark Dec. 2. Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the motorcycle sped off. Without lights, the motorcycles evaded patrol in the dark.

On Dec. 3, police placed a traffic cone in a large pothole on Drake Road. Police informed the highway department.

Nine car accidents were reported in the village this week.

Neighbors
On Dec. 2, a Sheldrake Road woman reported her neighbor called her a "psycho" while she was walking her dog on the street. The woman said there has been ongoing trouble with her neighbor, most recently manifested in a dispute over leaves. Patrol attempted to mediate the situation by speaking with the neighbor, but there was no answer at his door.

On Dec. 3, a Marjory Lane woman reported her neighbor's landscaper was jumping over her fence and possibly damaging her property while doing work in her neighbor's yard. The neighbor said the landscaper entered the woman's yard to remove leaves that possibly blew over during cleanup. Patrol advised the landscapers to stay on their client's property only.

Animals
A Brite Avenue woman told police she saw a wild animal that scared her when she walked by on the street Dec. 6. Patrol investigated to assess the safety of the area and found a dead raccoon by the side of the road. Patrol informed the highway department for disposal.

Lost and found
A passerby found a gold necklace on the ground on East Parkway Nov. 30. He gave it to police, who vouchered it for safekeeping.

A Carstensen Road woman reported losing her gold and diamond wedding ring Dec. 1. It was valued at $5,000.

On Dec. 3, an employee of Lange's Deli found a purse inside the deli and gave it to police. Police contacted the owner, using driver's license information and returned the purse to her. She said she would pick up the purse Dec. 4.

A person found a brown purse containing over $600 cash on Scarsdale Avenue Dec. 4. Police returned the purse to its owner, a woman who works on Scarsdale Avenue.

A White Plains woman found two credit cards and an Equinox membership card on the ground at the intersection of East Parkway and Popham Road after midnight Dec. 6. Police vouchered the cards for safekeeping and elected to contact the possible owner of the property in the morning.

A Ridgecrest West resident reported losing a license plate from his car Dec. 6.
A man lost his wallet while shopping on Palmer Avenue Dec. 6. It contained $80 cash, credit cards, a driver's license and 2,000 Mexican pesos.

Village code
Police dispersed four kids from Taunton Road after dark Dec. 5. The kids said they were finishing up a photography project and agreed to go home.

Fire

A gas odor at a Secor Road house was coming from an outdoor barbecue grill left in the "on" position Nov. 30.

Firefighters assisted Hartsdale firefighters with a house fire in Hartsdale Nov. 30.

Firefighters stood by for Con Edison at the site of a natural gas odor on Bradford Road Dec. 1.

A smoke odor was caused by an overheated light ballast in a Wynmor Road house Dec. 1.

Firefighters stood by for Con Edison at the site of a gas leak in a Wildwood Road house Dec. 1.

Steam in the high school's administrative offices, near the elevators, was mistaken for smoke Dec. 2.

A burning odor in a Garden Road house was caused by an overheated motor in the house's central vacuum system Dec. 3.

Firefighters were unable to determine the cause of a rotten egg smell in a Continental Road house Dec. 3. Firefighters confirmed there was not a gas leak or an overheating battery in the house, both of which can release a scent of rotting eggs.

A reported natural gas odor on Circle Road was unfounded Dec. 4.

Firefighters stood by for Con Edison at the site of a natural gas odor on Johnson Road Dec. 4.

A Greenacres Avenue resident lit a fire in the fireplace with a partially opened flue Dec. 5. The partially opened flue caused smoke to collect inside the house. Firefighters extinguished the burning logs and removed them from the house. Firefighters opened the flue completely and advised the resident to have the fireplace checked by a professional before using it again.

This week, firefighters assisted with two car accidents on a parkway and at Saxon Woods Pool complex. They responded to one false carbon monoxide alarm and 28 false fire alarms caused by device malfunction, cooking smoke, burnt popcorn, steam, construction dust, alarm keypad removal, fireplace smoke and a detector that accidentally got knocked off its base.

This report covering police and fire department activity from Nov. 30 - Dec. 6 was compiled from official information.

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