Details Emerge About Halloween Burglary in Fox Meadow Plus a Pot Factory on Ardsley Road

New details have emerged in the previously reported Kensington Road burglary from Halloween night. According to the police report, the homeowner and his wife were sleeping their second floor bedroom when they were awakened by an intruder around 12:05 a.m., Nov. 1. The intruder – described as a tall, thin man, approximately 6'3"tall and 150-170 pounds and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt strung closed over his face – was standing by the master bathroom door, the couple said. The homeowner's wife first thought the man was her teenage son and called out to him, but the man did not answer. The man allegedly paused and walked into the master bathroom. The wife woke up her husband, alerting him that someone was in the house. The man then walked out of the bathroom and back into the hallway, closing the master bedroom door behind him. The husband jumped out of bed, opened the door to the hallway and heard a loud bang, like a slamming door, downstairs. The wife called 911 and waited upstairs for patrol. When patrol arrived, they searched the house in case any suspects were still inside. They found a rear glass door to be broken and forced open. This door was determined to be both the entry and exit points of the suspect. The couple said they saw the man holding a large rectangular object in his hand, which was later determined to be a digital camera found on the floor by the front door. The couple said the digital camera had been located in a second-floor office, and it must have been dropped by the suspect as he was trying to leave the house. The couple's housekeeper of six years and the couple's two sons were also home at the time of the break-in. The housekeeper said she was sleeping in her third-floor bedroom when she was awaked by the noise of a man entering her room and touching closet doors around midnight. Her description of the man matched the couple's description, except she said the man appeared to be holding a large, black knife in his right hand. She said she could see the man because a closet light was on in the room. She said the man asked her if anyone else was in the house, and she said everyone else was downstairs. The man then asked the housekeeper for money. She replied that she did not have any, and the man left her room. On his way out the door, he said, "Happy Halloween; I'm Joe's friend." The man shut the housekeeper's bedroom door upon leaving. Following an investigation of their house, the couple reported that several items had been stolen. The nature of the items has remained confidential, pending the investigation. Video surveillance of the house recorded a second man, wearing a light-colored sweatshirt pulled closed over his face, standing at the front porch of the house at approximately 11:38 p.m. The husband's platinum wedding band was found under a bench near the broken glass door. A canvass of the area surrounding the house revealed a baggie containing small plastic tubes lying in the driveway. Canine units indicated a scent on the baggie might be related to the suspects; so police vouchered it as evidence. DNA swabs were taken for testing. The investigation is ongoing.

Ardmore Road Burglary
While conducting a dark house check of an Ardmore Road house, police noticed signs of forced entry, with extensive damage to a rear door and doorframe Nov. 5. Police entered the house and saw items in disarray. The homeowner was out of town at the time. An investigation determined three upstairs bedrooms were entered. Coins and jewelry had been spilled out on the beds, and a box of garbage bags was open on one of the beds. The owner was notified and said he would submit an inventory of stolen items to police after he returned home.

Greenburgh Police Uncover "Extensive Marijuana Cultivation Factory"
Police and firefighters responded to a report of burning electrical wires at 718 Ardsley Road at 2:30 pm on the afternoon of November 2. Police saw two men running into the woods behind the house, searched the area and found them.

Inside the house they found a pot factory of 300 marijuana plants with an approximate street value of $1.8mm as well as equipment to grow marijuana indoors.

They arrested Rajesh Jagarnauth age 41 and Bruce Mateo-Liz, age 38, both from the Bronx. They were charged with criminal possession of marijuana and Jagarnauth was also charged with possession of a forged instrument, when he was found with a forged drivers license.

Both men were sent to Westchester County Jail.

Stolen
A Brewster Road woman reported personal property was removed from her house without her permission Nov. 1. Missing items included a $3,000 Tag Heuer watch, a $500 Tag Heuer diver watch, $1,200 cash, a leather wallet, a leather card case and various assorted pieces of jewelry. The combined value of all stolen items was $19,800. The woman's husband discovered the watches, wallet, card case and cash were missing from his dresser drawer Oct. 30. On Oct. 31, the woman discovered all the jewelry stored in her jewelry box was missing. Jewelry was also missing from the woman's daughter's jewelry box. The daughter remembered last seeing her jewelry Oct. 12. A Kate Spade bangle was found near the front door of the house. The woman feels the thief must have dropped the bangle when leaving her house. The woman stated a cleaning service and multiple contractors have been at the house recently to do work and provide estimates.

Dead on arrival
A 92-year-old Aspen Road woman died at home, from natural causes, Nov. 6. Her name was not released in the police report.

Identity theft
On Nov. 4, a Birchall Drive man reported someone attempted to open a fraudulent Bank of America account in his name. The person used the man's name, date of birth and Social Security number. In addition to filing a police report and notifying Bank of America's fraud department, the man informed Chase, where he has his regular bank account.

A caller reported a Hispanic man with a skull tattoo on his finger attempted to cash a fraudulent check at HSBC Bank on Popham Road Nov. 4. The man was described as wearing a black baseball cap, jeans and a black, red and orange Polo sweatshirt. The check was written for $6,215. The bank teller asked the man questions, which he was unable to answer, so she did not cash the check. Suspecting the check and the man's driver's license were fakes, the teller kept the license and did not return it to the man when he left the bank. The name on the license was the same as an account holder at the bank, but the photo and other identifying information did not match. A bank employee notified the account holder of the incident, so he could safeguard his accounts.

Bias
An employee of Scarsdale Synagogue, on Ogden Road, reported a suspicious envelope had been received in the mail Oct. 31. The envelope contained literature that condemned Jewish people and Jewish public figures. The literature went on to express disapproval of certain practices and behaviors associated with the writer's perception of the Jewish community. Although the literature did not make any direct threats, it caused alarm. Temple staff said they were going to consult with the postmaster to try to determine information about the sender.

Mischief
A caller reported his daughter was hit by an egg thrown from a four-door sedan at Madison and Edgewood roads at 8:20 p.m., Nov. 3. Patrol canvassed the area without finding the car. They continued to heavily patrol the area for the rest of the night.

Ex-boyfriend
A Brite Avenue woman said her ex-boyfriend, who is no longer welcome at her house, has gone to her house twice and once entered when she was not there. The ex-boyfriend has a key to the house, but he never lived there. The woman said she would try to handle the situation on her own.

Dirt
A Hazleton Drive homeowner reported something was sprayed or tossed on her house Oct. 31. After police arrived, the homeowner said it was probably dirt, which she had already wiped off.

Altercation
A caller reported an altercation at the Scarsdale train station in which one male allegedly attempted to push another male onto the train tracks at 9:22 a.m., Nov. 1. Police informed MTA police and held a train in an attempt to locate the males. The train was released when the search proved unsuccessful.

Sidewalks
Police received numerous complaints about an open sidewalk hatch on Garth Road at Freightway Road Nov. 1. The caller felt the open hatch was causing a hazard. The owner of the Organic Pharmer business was notified, and he instructed an employee to close the hatch.

Unhappy
A Stratton Road woman complained that traffic cones had been placed near the end of her driveway Nov. 2. The cones were printed with the Con Edison logo, and it appeared as if work had just been completed on the street. The woman asked police to ask her neighbor if he knew what kind of work was being done. The neighbor said a wastewater hookup was being performed for his house. The next day, the construction foreman reported his crew could not access the sewer pipes beneath the street because the woman parked her car on top of the steel plates that covered the ditch containing the pipes. The woman said she parked her car there because construction material and workers were impeding access to her driveway. She said she was in the process of packing to leave for the day because she was bothered by the construction. Patrol stood by while she moved her car off the steel plates and left the scene.

Houses
A Penn Boulevard woman heard noises inside her house at 8 p.m., Nov. 2. She said it sounded like someone was trying to break into her house through a sliding glass door. A check of the door revealed no signs of force or tampering. A check of the yard did not uncover any suspicious individuals. To ease the woman's concerns, police offered to perform extra ridebys during the midnight tour.

Two witnesses reported a person inside a Crest Lane house under renovation at 11:30 p.m., Nov. 3. Police checked the house and found no one inside. They attempted to contact the owner but could not reach him. The contractor was notified, and he checked the house as well. The contractor identified a water problem in the basement due to an inoperable sump pump cause by a shut down of utilities in the house. The contractor had no knowledge of a person being inside the house. The building department was notified for follow-up.

Candy
Teenage Fairview Road twins were arguing about Halloween candy outside their house at 10 p.m., Nov. 3. Patrol spoke with the teens and advised them they should not be arguing about such an issue. They apologized and agreed to share the candy. Patrol also spoke with the twins' father, who stated everything was in order and did not request further assistance.

Welfare check
Police checked on a Palmer Avenue woman after a caller reported seeing the woman twice standing in her driveway, with her head down and her arm extended Nov. 3. Patrol contacted the woman who refused medical attention. She said she was OK. Her behavior was allegedly altered by a medical condition. She said her brother checks in on her. Police received a similar report about the woman the next day, Nov. 4. Police checked on her, and she said she was fine and "just getting some fresh air." She had no trouble answering patrol's questions and showed no signs of distress.

911
A Fox Meadow man called 911 at 4:50 a.m., Nov. 4. He first reported his brother was harassing him. Then, when police arrived, the man was standing barefoot on the lawn, stating he could not find his brother. Investigation determined the man was delusional because his brother was currently out of state. Patrol reminded the man to only call 911 in the case of true emergencies. They spoke with the man's mother and admonished her regarding the seriousness of her son's frequent and improper use of 911.

A Greenacres man called 911 to report three unknown men and a woman standing on his back deck at 12:00 p.m., Nov. 6. On scene, patrol spoke with the man's health aide, who advised that the man suffers from delusions. She stated there were no unauthorized people at the house or on the deck. At that time, the man agreed that his aide was correct and he had been mistaken about the people he thought he saw on the deck. Patrol confirmed there were no unauthorized people present.

Bike
An abandoned Huffy bicycle was removed from the bicycle rack at East Parkway and Spencer Place Nov. 2. Police vouchered it at headquarters.

Cars and roadways
A driver became agitated after he received a parking ticket on Christie Place at 7:30 a.m., Oct. 31. The driver ripped up the ticket and argued with the parking enforcement officer before leaving the scene. No physical contact or threats were made.

The highway department was called to investigate the condition of a possible storm drain malfunction at Edgewood Road and Roosevelt Place Oct. 31.

On Nov. 1, a Stratton Road woman said workers were blocking her driveway. On scene, police spoke with the job foreman who presented a valid permit for roadway work, as issued by the village. The woman felt she should have been notified about the work. She was advised to direct her concerns to the building department.

Water was observed running onto Mamaroneck Road from the back yard of Sheldrake Road Nov. 2. Police determined a hose was left running, and they shut it off.

On Nov. 2, it was determined a crosswalk intersection was moved approximately 20 feet west of its proper location at Fenimore and Brewster roads. Police relocated the crosswalk to its proper spot.

After a resident complained, police marked the tires of a black Dodge sports car parked on Fox Meadow Road Nov. 2. A summons was issued when it was determined that the car was in violation of a one-hour parking restriction.

A caller reported an SUV heading south on Brite Avenue with a pipe or gun-like object sticking out of its open sunroof at 2:15 p.m., Nov. 2. Police canvassed the area but did not find the car. They conducted ridebys of all schools and confirmed each school was safe.

A truck with a 40-foot trailer was picking up portable lights from Scarsdale High School Nov. 3. Police stood by to direct traffic around the truck while school dismissed.

A caller complained about a car with a canoe on its roof, parked near the intersection of Drake and Hamilton roads Nov. 3. The car had a valid registration and was legally parked. The canoe was securely attached to the car's roof. Police did not need to take any action because they felt the car was not obstructing traffic, as reported by the caller.

A man sitting in a parked car on Hanover Road was waiting to drive a home care worker to her next job assignment Nov. 4.

Seven car accidents were reported in the village this week.

Noise
A Stratton Road resident complained of early morning noise from a neighbor's generator Nov. 1. Police spoke with the neighbor and advised him that generator use was not permitted until 8 a.m. The neighbor complied with village regulations and agreed to turn off the generator for 30 minutes, until it became 8 a.m.

After neighbors complained of noise, patrol asked a Crest Lane homeowner to lower the volume of music at 10 p.m., Nov. 4.

Lost dog
Patrol reunited a loose dog and its owner, who was out looking for the dog, on Chesterfield Road Nov. 5. The owner said the dog must have found a way out of the house.

Solicitor
A man who does mobile car detailing services was soliciting business in the parking lot of Balducci's market on Palmer Avenue Nov. 5. Shopper complained, and patrol performed a traffic stop of the car for the man's failure to signal while making a turn. Patrol advised the man he needs a permit to solicit business in the village. He apologized and agreed to leave the area.

Lost and found
On Nov. 1, a light blue purse containing pencils and a Scarsdale High School student ID was found by patrol and taken to the high school. The school secretary said she would notify the student that her purse had been found.

A man found an 18K gold watch on East Parkway and brought it to headquarters. Police vouchered it for safekeeping.

Firefighters
Firefighters assisted a Johnson Road resident with a minor oven problem Nov. 2.
On Nov. 4, a gas leak on Madison Road and Boulevard resulted in elevated gas reading at a street box and beneath a road plate where Con Edison work was being performed. Con Edison responded, and firefighters helped Con Edison workers check two houses for possible gas migration. Neither house showed signs of the gas leak. Con Edison stayed on scene to address the problem.

A car accident at Crane and Fox Meadow roads resulted in a fire hydrant break and a significant water leak Nov. 4. The water department shut the water supply to the broken hydrant, and firefighters stood by until the cars were towed from the scene.

A Fox Meadow Road resident reported water was flowing into her garage as a result of the broken hydrant. Firefighters used natural material to make a temporary dam to divert the water away from the garage.

Carbon monoxide alarms alerted firefighters to elevated carbon monoxide levels in an Oak Lane house Nov. 4. First, firefighters knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Firefighters then took a reading through the mail slot and confirmed elevated carbon monoxide. Con Edison and police were asked to respond, in order to address the situation and determine if anyone was inside the house because lights were on and cars were in the driveway. Firefighters forced their way into the house, breaking several panes of glass and damaging the doorframe. Once inside the house, higher levels of carbon monoxide were measured. Firefighters ventilated the house, and Con Edison determined two faulty gas burner units were the cause of the elevated carbon monoxide. The house was checked for residents, and authorities confirmed no one was there. Broken glass was cleaned up, and the door was secured before firefighters, police and Con Edison workers left.

This week, firefighters assisted at four car accidents in the village. They responded to one false carbon monoxide alarm and 13 false fire alarms caused by device malfunction, cooking smoke, a burnt bagel, spray paint, shower steam, water leaking into a detector and construction dust.

This report covering police and fire department activity from Oct. 31 through Nov. 6 has been compiled from official information.