Police Report: Cement truck arm falls on Wynmor Road house and a Book Thief

On Aug. 29, a cement truck with an attached pump, arm and boom tipped over at a Wynmor Road worksite and hit a neighbor's house. The cement pump was being used to pump concrete into a building's foundation at the time of the accident. A worker stated that while the pump's arm was fully extended, he inadvertently lifted the equipment's stabilizers, which supported the vehicle. As a result, the truck tipped to the right and its arm came to rest on a neighbor's roof. Another worker on the scene used an excavator to counterbalance the weight of the truck to prevent it from tipping over further. The worker chained the front bucket of the excavator to the side of the pumper in order to stabilize it. A child was home, sleeping in a bedroom, where the pumping arm hit the house. Neither the child nor the child's grandmother, who was also in the house, were injured. Con Edison shut power to the house and the construction site. Two heavy-duty tow trucks arrived and lifted the pumping arm from the house and brought the tipped-over cement truck to a level rest. Firefighters and village engineers checked the house for safety and determined there was no structural damage.

Missing money
A Madison Road woman reported approximately $9,380 cash was missing from her bedroom Aug. 29. According to the woman, she received two envelopes containing $5,000 and $4,000 from her mother. She had placed these envelopes on her bedside table at approximately 6 p.m., Aug. 27. Additionally, she had received cards and cash gratuities from a job, which were also stacked in a neat pile on the table. This cash amounted to $1,445. On Aug. 28, the woman woke up early and went to the gym. That evening, she discovered both envelopes missing, as well as $380 missing from the stack of cash.

Stolen checkbook
A Hutchinson Avenue woman's checkbook was stolen from her house, and a fraudulent check for $5,500 was written. The bank noticed the check was suspicious and informed the woman before cashing it. The account was closed. The incident was reported to police Sept. 2.

Disappearing books
On Sept. 1, a librarian reported that travel books have been disappearing from Scarsdale Public Library over the last few months. Two books were about Scotland. One book was about London. One book was about Munich and the Bavarian Alps. Library staff started to notice the books were being stolen in June. The travel books were then moved to a location visible from the front desk in an attempt to deter the thefts. However, thefts continued throughout July and August.

Identity theft
On Aug. 29, a Hampton Road resident reported someone fraudulently opened a Capital One debit card in her name. Capital One said the person used the woman's birth date and Social Security number to set up the account. The account was closed, and the woman was advised to notify the credit reporting agencies.

On Aug. 31, a Brewster Road resident reported someone changed the personal email address linked to his Chase Bank account and fraudulently transferred $980 out of his bank account. The transaction is being investigated by the bank.

A Boulder Brook Road woman received a package of clothing she did not order Sept. 2. She contacted Amazon and informed them the order was fraudulent, and the charge was unauthorized.

On Sept. 4, a Tunstall Road man reported someone attempted to make a purchase using the man's identity, but the attempt was unsuccessful. The man said he did not want to file a formal report. He only wanted to make a notification for future reference.

Criminal mischief
A Kent Road air conditioning compressor line was punctured by an unknown object Aug. 29. The new compressor had been installed on Aug. 19 and had been working well. On Aug. 26, the homeowner realized the system was not cooling his house. A service technician was dispatched and discovered a puncture in the side coil, which caused the refrigerant to run out. An engineer from the compressor's manufacturer examined the unit and deduced someone had punctured the coil by forcibly poking an object through the coil grate.

A Scarsdale Improvement employee reported the door to a Palmer Avenue business was damaged overnight Aug. 31. The business location is under construction and currently unoccupied. Police recommended installing better outdoor lighting and surveillance cameras to deter future incidents.

Mailboxes
Two Cornell Street mailboxes were bashed and knocked down overnight Aug. 30 to Aug. 31. The mailboxes stood at the edge of their respective front lawns. A mailman stated other mailboxes on Griffen Avenue were also damaged during the time frame. The flags on several mailboxes on Normandy Lane were damaged as well.

A door to a Palmer Avenue business was discovered damaged at 9:30 a.m., Sept. 1.
On Sept. 4, a Murray Hill Road homeowner reported her mailbox and a Scarsdale Security yard sign were stolen overnight. The mailbox was "old and broken, with little value," the homeowner stated. Extra ridebys of the house were requested.

Unlocked door
While patrolling Chase Road businesses, police found one business with an unlocked door at 9 p.m., Sept. 4. Front door keys were found inside the business. Police contacted the owner, who gave permission for police to lock the door with the keys.

Safety
A concerned citizen reported "kids riding bikes without helmets" in the area of Crane Road Aug. 31. Police canvassed surrounding streets and did not see any evidence of unsafe bicycling.

Police checked the welfare of a Popham Road woman after she did not answer her "RUOK" call Sept. 3. She had been sleeping in her bed and did not hear the call. Police confirmed she was OK.

Lost boy
A young boy told a police officer that he "lost his friend" on East Parkway Aug. 31. With police help, the boy used Face Time to contact his friend. The friend had gone home and was safely at his house. No further assistance was needed.

Parked cars
A caller reported suspicious persons in cars parked on Wilmot Road at 9 p.m., Aug. 31. Patrol went to the area and saw two couples sitting in their cars talking. No suspicious activity was noted.

Light pole
While conducting door checks on Palmer Avenue at 2 a.m., Sept. 1, police noticed a fallen light pole on Palmer Avenue. There were no obvious signs of an accident or criminal mischief. Loose debris was cleaned up and discarded. The light pole was still safely connected to its electrical wires. Police moved it onto Palmer Avenue and marked the area with a traffic cone and caution tape. A note was made for dispatch to contact the department of public works.

Aspen Park
A caller reported a suspicious man "hiding behind trees and lying down on a park bench" in Aspen Park at 1:30 p.m., Sept. 4. Patrol spoke with the man, from Yonkers, and learned he was a taxi driver from Central Taxi. The man said he had an argument with his brother, with whom he lives, the previous night and decided not to go home. He said he came to the park looking for a quiet place to relax. He apologized for causing concern and said he would try returning home.

Cars and roadways
At 12:30 a.m., Aug. 29, police helped a motorist change a flat tire on Tompkins Road.
Patrol notified Verizon about low-hanging wires on Farley and Magnolia Roads Aug. 31.

Police stood by while a motorist changed a flat tire on Mamaroneck Road at 10:30 p.m., Aug. 31. The motorist said a pothole on Mamaroneck Road ruptured his tire.

A caller reported erratic driving from a Porsche in the area of Post and Olmsted Roads Sept. 2. Patrol canvassed the area for the car but did not find it.

A Lyons Road driver complained that roadwork and repaving on Boulevard and Bell Road might be damaging his car Sept. 2. The highway department was informed.

A Birchall Drive homeowner reported cars parking on a gravel and dirt patch in front of his house Sept. 4. Patrol attempted to contact neighbors to ascertain who owned the car, but attempts were unsuccessful. The cars were gone within a few hours. The homeowner said he would instruct his gardener to remove the dirt patch, turn over the ground and put up fencing to prevent cars from parking there.

Seven car accidents were reported in the village this week.

Dogs
A citizen found a stray dog on Cayuga Road and brought it to headquarters Aug. 31. Police contacted New Rochelle Humane Society for pickup. While waiting for NRHS to arrive, the dog's owner reported the dog missing. Police reunited the owner and the dog. They issued the owner a village code violation summons.

A small, brown, mixed-breed dog was found roaming on Farley Road. It was wearing a tag showing a Scarsdale Village dog license number. However, police were unable to identify the owner because an updated license list was not available at headquarters. Patrol contracted New Rochelle Humane Society for pickup.

Village Code
Police removed a painter's advertising sign posted in violation of village code near the juncture of Mamaroneck Road and the Hutchinson River Parkway Aug. 31.
A neighbor complained about construction noise coming from a Murray Hill Road job site at 8:49 a.m., Sept. 3. Police talked to the job foreman, who said his workers were cleaning the site and removing debris. He said no one had used any power tools at the site that morning.

A Richbell Road resident complained about loud music coming from her neighbor's yard at 9:20 p.m., Sept. 4. The noise was impeding the resident's children's ability to sleep. The neighbor lowered the volume of the music while patrol was on scene.

Police issued summonses for improper use of gas-leaf blowers to landscapers on Walworth Avenue Aug. 28 and Canterbury and Popham roads Aug. 30.

Lost and found
A Gaylor Road woman reported losing her Westchester County Court ID card Aug. 29. She said she last saw the ID card in her house but has been unable to find it.

A woman, who wished to remain anonymous, found a Visa debit card in the village and brought it to headquarters Sept. 3.

Firefighters
Con Edison detected natural gas in the sewer system on Fenimore Road Aug. 29. Firefighters helped Con Edison workers check nearby houses for possible gas migration. Police assisted in checking a house where the homeowner was away. No signs of gas were found at any of the checked houses. Firefighters turned the scene over to Con Edison.

A burning odor inside a Taunton Road East house was caused by a light ballast behind a valance Aug. 29. Firefighters removed the fixture and capped the wires. They stood by for Con Edison because of a gas leak found in the house while attending to the ballast.

A carbon monoxide alarm alerted firefighters to elevated levels of carbon monoxide in a Barker Lane house Aug. 29. A pot of rice was cooking on the stove, and after the stove was turned off, the carbon monoxide levels decreased. Con Edison checked the stove and could not find any leaks. They thought the outdated carbon monoxide monitors might be giving false readings. They advised replacing the monitors.

An outdoor grill left in the "on" position was causing a natural gas odor on Spruce Lane Aug. 31. Firefighters checked grill connections and instructed residents on proper use of the grill.

A plumber removed a leaking acetylene tank from an Eton Road basement, and carbon monoxide levels in the basement spiked to high levels Sept. 1. Firefighters used a professional fan for ventilation, and levels returned to zero.

A gas leak at a boiler control valve caused a natural gas odor inside a Bethel Road house Sept. 1. Firefighters shut down the boiler and stood by for Con Edison.
A Windmill Lane boiler was leaking natural gas Sept. 2. Firefighters stood by for Con Edison.

On Sept. 3, a caller advised being trapped inside the Christie Place Garage elevator at 3:45 p.m. Firefighters opened the elevator doors without causing any damage, and the caller safely left the elevator. Firefighters placed the elevator out of service, pending repair.

A broken flue on a Park Road pool heater broke and allowed carbon monoxide to enter the basement Sept. 4. Firefighters shut down the heater, ventilated the space and stood by for Con Edison.

This week, firefighters assisted at one car accident in the village. They responded to nine false fire alarms caused by device malfunction, a water leak, sanding, shower steam and cooking smoke.

This police report is sponsored by Scarsdale Security who does more than just security. Contact them about remote video for your home or business. Call 914-722-2200 or visit their website.