Police Beat, March 9, 2023

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Editor’s note: An arrest or a charge is not a conviction. All persons listed are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Charges can be amended or dismissed.

Granville Police Department

Feb. 24

11:59 a.m. An officer responded to a Madison Street establishment for a report of an employee showing other employees a taser and stating she would use it if necessary. The report of the taser was unconfirmed and the investigation closed.

9:15 p.m. An officer on patrol assisted EMS at a North Street residence with a child having difficulty breathing. The child was transported to Glens Falls Hospital.

Feb. 25

12:51 a.m. Police were dispatched to a Madison Street location for a report of a domestic dispute. Investigation showed there was a verbal altercation with some physical contact. Complainant wanted the incident documented but did not wish to file charges.

8:05 a.m. Police responded to a Morrison Street residence to deal with a verbal domestic involving changing a room in the residence to an office. It was agreed one party would relocate to an adjoining apartment so both parties could have their space.

Feb. 26

1:19 p.m. A person who found $85 and turned it into police last April was given the money back as no one had claimed it.

Feb. 28

12:50 p.m. Police assisted in the retrieval of personnel property at a Madison Avenue residence during a foreclosure proceeding.

Mar. 1

10:49 a.m. Police were called to a Madison Avenue establishment to investigate an alleged incident of workplace violence. No physical contact was involved. The administration at the establishment is dealing with the incident, which did not rise to the level of criminal activity.

3:01 p.m. Police were dispatched to a Quaker Street location for a reported larceny of $200. The reporting person said he noticed money missing weeks ago, and that perhaps it had been lost. Police advised this person to consider better security precautions.

Mar. 2

9:28 a.m. An officer responded to a Quaker Street location for a fire alarm activation. It was determined to be a faulty smoke detector.

10:10 a.m. Police responded to a Mettowee Street location for a report of a woman not allowing two members of a repair crew to leave, because they had not repaired her refrigerator. The repair crew responded they did not have the ability to repair the appliance at that time. A dispute also arose over the billing. The parties were advised the billing was a civil issue, and the woman was ordered to allow the repair personnel to leave, which she did. No further action was taken.

11:28 a.m. An officer was called to assist a civil deputy in an eviction process. Property was removed without incident.

Mar. 3

12:45 a.m. Police were called to a Quaker Street residence to stand by while one party removed his belongings. The removal was completed without incident.


Whitehall Police Department

Feb. 22

Jason S. Benn, 25, of Whitehall, was charged by village police with harassment, a violation, stemming from a domestic disturbance at a North Mountain Street residence on Jan. 29. Benn was arraigned in Village Court and released with an order of protection to stay away from the other person involved in the dispute. He is scheduled to reappear in court at a later date.

Feb. 22

Devon B. Mahar, 43, of Granville, was taken into custody on a warrant charging her with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a misdemeanor, following an investigation into the reported theft of cell phones from a Lafayette Street residence on Feb. 1. The phones were located and recovered on Feb. 3. Mahar was arraigned in Village Court and released on her own recognizance to reappear at a later date.

Feb. 24

4:15 p.m. While on patrol, police were waved down by a Broadway resident who told them he and his soon-to-be-ex-wife were having a dispute about property. The man said he wanted to take a truck parked on the property but that the woman had deflated the tires. The woman told police her name was on the truck’s title and she did not want the man to take it. She also said the man had some property in the truck that he was welcome to take. Police advised both parties that since both claimed ownership of the vehicle, they would have to work it out or take the matter to civil court.

Feb. 25

10:20 p.m. Police were dispatched to a Main Street residence in response to a reported attempted burglary in progress. Upon arrival, police observed a man standing outside the building on the sidewalk. The man told officers he had had a falling out with his girlfriend, had gone for a walk and leaned on the doors, causing a noise. The property manager arrived and checked the building but found no sign it had been entered.

Feb. 26

10:17 a.m. Police responded to a report of a man threatening to shoot the staff at the Dollar General store on Broadway after he had been told not to take food items from a donation box. The man was spotted in a parking lot across the street. He was stopped by police and acknowledged taking food from the box but said he thought the food was for people who needed it and he didn’t believe he was stealing. He denied saying anything about a gun or shooting anyone. After police spoke further with Dollar General staff, the man was informed he was banned from the store and could be arrested if he returned.

10:34 a.m. Austin J. Mosher Sr., 25, of Whitehall was charged by village police with fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, after police responded to a Broadway residence for a reported domestic disturbance. An investigation found that Mosher had caused damage to a door inside the residence during a verbal argument. Mosher was arrested and turned over to the Washington County Jail for central arraignment processing.

Feb. 27

1:15 a.m. Police were called to the area of The Railyard in response to a report of a wire down. The fire department was on the scene and cleared the wire once it was determined to be a telephone cable. Verizon was notified.

11:40 a.m. Police received a second report of wires down, this time on Doig Street. On arrival, officers found some wires ripped down and a low-hanging wire. The wires were again determined to be phone lines. The hanging wire was removed and Verizon was notified.

6:30 p.m. Carol G. Martel, 48, of Whitehall was charged by village police with second-degree menacing and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon after officers responded to a report of a domestic dispute at a Main Street apartment building. Police said Martel and a man had been involved in a verbal dispute and the man had been threatened with a baseball bat and a steak knife. Martel said the man had struck her in the back with his fist, but police found no sign of an injury. Witnesses supported the man’s version of the initial event but had left the apartment before the knife incident reportedly occurred. However, they did say they heard the man telling Martel to drop the knife. Martel was taken into custody and transported to the Washington County Jail, where she was arraigned in the central arraignment court and released on her own recognizance.

Feb. 28

4:49 a.m. Logan A. Winney, 23, of Whitehall was arrested by village police on a warrant issued in Hudson Falls. He was turned over to Hudson Falls police for further action.

7:40 a.m. Police were called to a residence on Montcalm Avenue to assist at a fire scene. Firefighters told officers there had been an electrical fire in a wall of the building that had been quickly extinguished. National Grid and fire investigators were called.

March 1

5:15 p.m. Police were dispatched to a North Williams Street residence in response to a report of a disturbance. On arrival, officers found one man on the ground and a second on a porch shouting. The man on the porch was persuaded to go into the house while officers dealt with the man on the ground, who was highly intoxicated and bleeding from the nose. The man was so intoxicated police had to carry him to a patrol vehicle. Officers called emergency medical personnel to assess the man, who agreed to go to the hospital.


New York State Police

March 2

3:35 a.m. Timothy H. Heym, 53, of Hudson Falls was arrested in South Glens Falls for one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a class A misdemeanor. He was issued an appearance ticket.

8:09 a.m. Shannon L. Hunt, 33, of Cambridge was arrested on a number of counts in connection with a domestic dispute, specifically five counts of reckless endangerment in the second degree, four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of leaving the scene of an accident in which someone was injured, a first offense, all class A misdemeanors; one count of reckless driving, a class U misdemeanor; two counts of criminal mischief in the second degree, a class D felony; and four counts of criminal contempt in the first degree, specifically physical menacing, a class E felony. She was being held.

10:21 a.m. Matthew M. Harris, 53, of Greenwich was arrested for one count of criminal mischief in the fourth degree and criminal contempt in the second degree, specifically disobeying a court order, in connection to a domestic dispute, both class A misdemeanors. He was issued an appearance ticket.


Rutland County Sheriff’s Office

Feb. 25

7:49 p.m. A patrolling deputy observed a vehicle parked on the side of U.S. Route 4 near Exit 6 in West Rutland with a man standing outside it. He was identified as 27-year-old Randy Farrell of West Rutland. A subsequent investigation revealed the vehicle had mechanical issues. A record check on Farrell revealed he had a criminally suspended driver’s license as well as three arrest warrants from both Rutland and Windsor counties. Farrell was placed under arrest and processed at the Rutland County Sheriff’s Office. He was transported to the Marble Valley Correctional Facility on $450 bail. Farrell was issued several additional citations for no registration and no insurance. His vehicle was towed from the scene.

Feb. 26

5:20 p.m. A deputy on patrol along U.S. Route 4 in Rutland observed a vehicle with illegally tinted windows and conducted a traffic stop. A record check revealed 37-year-old Jamie Trinci of Pittsford was operating with a criminally suspended driver’s license. Trinci was placed under arrest and released with a citation to appear in Vermont Superior Court, Criminal Division. Trinci was issued several citations regarding the obstructed windows and no insurance. Her vehicle was towed from the scene and the license plates seized.

Feb. 28

10:26 p.m. A deputy was dispatched to the scene of a single motor vehicle accident in the area of Vermont Route 30 North and Ward Road in Poultney. The driver, identified as 33-year-old Karen Davidson of Rutland, showed signs of impairment. Davidson is alleged to have failed a roadside sobriety test and subsequently provided a breath sample above Vermont’s legal limit for alcohol consumption. She was released to a sober party with a citation to appear in Vermont Superior Court, Criminal Division, to answer a charge of DUI. Her vehicle was towed from the scene.


Vermont State Police

Feb. 27

11:59 p.m. Vermont State Police stopped a vehicle on Grainger Street in the City of Rutland for an observed motor vehicle violation. While speaking with the driver, Paul Thomas, 49, of Brooklyn, New York, troopers observed indicators of drug activity. A consent search and a subsequent search warrant revealed that Thomas was in possession of cocaine, a controlled substance and a criminal amount of marijuana. Thomas was transported to State Police barracks in Rutland for processing and released on a citation to appear in Rutland Superior Court, Criminal Division, at a later date to answer to the charge of possession of cocaine, marijuana and a controlled substance.

Feb. 28

1:43 p.m. Vermont State Police were notified of a single-vehicle crash in Benson that occurred earlier in the morning at around 7:15 a.m. Through investigation it was determined that school bus driver Michael Downey, 69, of Orwell was traveling west on North Cross Road and came to a stop at the intersection of Stage Road for oncoming traffic. Downey told troopers that road conditions were slippery, and the bus slid backward off the roadway into a tree. Neither Downey nor his five passengers ages 10-15 from Benson reported injuries. The bus, however, sustained moderate damage to its rear window and roof.

March 1

1:32 a.m. Vermont State Police pulled over a vehicle on West Street in the City of Rutland for an observed motor vehicle violation. While speaking with the driver, Randy Farrell, 27, of Rutland City, troopers observed signs of impairment. Farrell was administered standardized field sobriety tests roadside and was subsequently taken into custody for driving under the influence. His license was also found to be under criminal suspension. Farrell was transported to the State Police barracks in Rutland for processing and later released on a citation to appear in Rutland Superior Court, Criminal Division, to answer to the charge of driving under the influence of drugs and driving with a suspended license.

March 6

12:23 a.m. Vermont State Police conducted a motor vehicle stop on Dorr Drive in the City of Rutland for an observed motor vehicle violation. While speaking with the operator, Paul Valente, 48, of Rutland City, signs of impairment were observed. Valente was also found to be operating the vehicle without the required interlock device and was placed under arrest for driving with a suspended license. A search of Valente’s person yielded suspected cocaine. Valente refused standardized field sobriety tests and was transported to the Rutland barracks for processing and later released on a citation to appear in Rutland Superior Court, Criminal Division, to answer to the charges of possession of cocaine, DUI #5 with drugs and driving with a suspended license.


Police chase leads to arrest

By Doug La Rocque

Granville police observed a vehicle leaving Stewart’s at a high rate of speed on Friday morning, March 3, and gave chase when the driver refused to stop.

The vehicle was observed running several stop signs in the area of Franklin Avenue and Lincoln Street and again at Irving Avenue. The pursuing officer lost the vehicle but was informed by area residents it was parked in the back of a Lincoln Street apartment building.

The driver, identified as Elijah Johnson of Manchester Center, Vermont, was located and initially denied operating the vehicle but later after questioning admitted to being the driver. He claimed he ran from the police because he “didn’t have time for this.”

It was determined Johnson had a criminally suspended license in Vermont and no New York State driver’s license. Police charged him with speed not reasonable and prudent, operation of a motor vehicle by an unlicensed driver and two counts of failing to stop at a stop sign. He was released on his own recognizance.

During the investigation it was noticed the passenger-side window of the vehicle had been busted out. Johnson claimed another person had thrown a baseball bat at him. Johnson later identified the person he believed was responsible.

According to police, the investigation is ongoing and further charges are possible.