Hudson Falls man jailed for fatal hit and run accident
QUEENSBURY – A Warren County Judge on Wednesday, Aug. 28, sentenced 34-year-old Peter Northrup Jr. of Hudson Falls to two to six years in prison, following his June guilty plea to leaving the scene of a December 15, 2023, accident that took the life of 30-year-old Shane Winchell of Queensbury. Winchell was walking along Burke Road in Queensbury when he was struck by a vehicle driven by Northrup. Police said at the time, Winchell, a father or six, died at the scene. The subsequent investigation determined Northrup made “no effort to report the incident or get help for Winchell.”
Sheriff’s Deputies eventually arrested Northrup in February of this year, while he was an inmate at the Washington County Correctional Facility on an unrelated charge.
Granville police beat
Aug. 24
7:01 p.m. A traffic stop resulted in a misdemeanor charge against a Granville teen. The 17-year-old was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle after he was stopped at the corner of Pine and North streets for allegedly failing to signal a turn before reaching the intersection. Officers said they were aware the teen had been charged by Washington County sheriff’s deputies with the same offense just the day before and that his license was still suspended. The teen was also cited for making an improper turn, a Vehicle and Traffic Law infraction.
Aug. 25
9:30 p.m. Police received a request for a welfare check on a Park Avenue resident after the car alarm on the resident’s vehicle had been blaring for roughly half an hour. Officers knocked on the door of the resident but received no response. They checked the vehicle and found it packed with items and a toolbox lying on the streeting wheel. They were able to reach through the window and pull the toolbox off the horn. Further attempts to contact the owner by telephone were unsuccessful. The owner later called police and assured them he was fine. He also said he found no evidence his vehicle had been tampered with.
Aug. 26
7:42 a.m. A Morrison Street resident called police to report two males fighting in a nearby parking lot. One of those involved was reportedly armed with a metal pipe. Officers responded and found two men at different locations near the scene; both initially denied there had been an altercation but subsequently admitted there had been a scuffle. Neither man reported any injuries and both said they did not want to file a complaint.
11:35 a.m. A citizen turned in a designer wallet containing a small amount of cash she had found on Quaker Street. The wallet also contained an insurance card containing a name. Police were unable to contact the named person, so the wallet was placed in the police lost and found drawer.
5:32 p.m. Police received a complaint from an East Pine Street resident that motorcyclists were doing “wheelies” on Rogers Place while not wearing helmets. Officers spoke to a motorcyclist at that location who acknowledged he had been performing wheelies but said he would no longer do so. Roughly 30 minutes later, police received a second complaint about a different helmetless person in the road. Officers checked the location again but observed no violations of the law.
Aug. 27
7:23 a.m. A Washington Street resident told police a wallet containing about $250 and a pocketknife had been stolen from his car, which had been parked unlocked in his driveway, sometime overnight.
8 a.m. A North Street resident contacted police about two males acting suspiciously behind a building on the street near a brown pickup truck. The complainant said the two appeared to be impaired and thought they were using drugs. Responding officers found no suspicious activity but spoke to a male in front of the house who said a neighbor had yelled at him and a companion for being behind his house and supposedly urinating behind his camper. The male said he had a right-of-way behind the house and he will call police if the complainant confronts him again.
5 p.m. An Elm Street resident told an off-duty police officer someone had gone through his vehicle and had taken a cell phone. The incident took place the same night as a previously reported vehicle burglary.
Aug. 28
7:27 a.m. Police discovered the gates at Mettowee Park were open and the back field in the park had been torn up by a vehicle. Employees with the village Public Works Department contacted police after a man walking on a path in the park had seen a vehicle parked on the trail. A check of al list of stolen vehicles found the sedan reported stolen from Glens Falls. Detectives from that city’s police department arrived, secured the vehicle and arranged to have it towed from the scene.
8:49 a.m. While in the scene of the Mettowee Park incident, police received a report of a vehicle stolen from an Elm Street residence. The owner of the missing pickup said it had been taken sometime overnight. Police were checking the area for any possible video of the theft.
7:43 p.m. Police received multiple reports that a teen wanted in connection with the vehicle thefts had been seen on Factory Street, headed toward Main Street. Officers found a black sweatshirt that appeared to be the one the suspect had been wearing on the sidewalk. Police received multiple conflicting reports of the teen’s whereabouts, which were deemed unfounded.
Aug. 29
5:45 a.m. The father of a 15-year-old male whose arrest last week nearly touched off a riot at the police station reported his son had run away from his North Street home. The teen had reportedly climbed out a window which he knew was not covered by surveillance cameras. The teen was taken into custody shortly after his flight had been reported.
Washington County Sheriff’s Office
Aug. 17
Deputies have announced the arrest of 26-year-old Wyatt C. Watkins of Rutland, VT on the charge of criminal possession of a firearm, a class E felony. The Office says their investigation determined Watkins was allegedly in possession of an unregistered handgun and could face additional charges.
Watkins was arraigned and released with an appearance ticket for the Village of Whitehall Court.
Aug 28
On this date it was announced that deputies arrested Mathieu M. Forette, age 23 and Carlos I. Ruiz Sr., age 43, for burglary in the 3rd degree, a class D felony and petit larceny, a class A misdemeanor. The investigation determined that Forette and Ruiz broke into a building in July located on Notch Lane in the Town of White Creek and stole property from within. Additional charges are likely in this investigation.
Forette and Ruiz were arraigned in Centralized Arraignment and released on their own recognizance to appear in the Town of White Creek Court at a later date.
If anyone has information on Forette and Ruiz they are asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division, Investigator C. Sullivan.
New York State Police
Aug. 23
State Police arrested 35-year-old Teesha M. Bapp of Queensbury for Grand Larceny in the 3rd degree. Troopers say that on July 16, they received a complaint from a Washington County resident that they were being extorted. The investigation determined that Bapp allegedly threatened that she would falsely report the victim had sexually assaulted her unless they paid her the requested amount of money. Bapp’s threats reportedly resulted in the theft of more than $3,000 by means of extortion.
Bapp was arrested, arraigned and released on her own recognizance.
Aug. 25
4:16 a.m. – Troopers arrested Joshua M. Lee, 32, of Johnsonville for menacing in the third degree, two counts of criminal mischief in the fourth degree, unlawful Imprisonment in the second degree, criminal obstruction of breathing and harassment in the second degree.
At this date and time, troopers responded to the report of a past dispute. The investigation determined hours prior, Lee and the victim were in a verbal dispute that became physical at a home in Johnsonville. During the dispute, Lee reportedly prevented the victim from calling for help by damaging and taking away their phone. Also, Lee allegedly displayed a knife, obstructed the victim’s breathing, and physically restrained them when they attempted to flee. The victim sustained minor injuries during the incident but was able to get free and call for help.
Lee was located and arrested at his home. He was transported to SP Brunswick for processing. He was then arraigned in Schaghticoke Town Court and released on his own recognizance.
Vermont State Police
Aug. 18
4:55 p.m. – State Police were called to the Cones Point Store in Poultney for a report of a suspicious male yelling inside the store. Concerned citizens followed the male south on VT. Route 30 where witnesses observed him on the deck of a private residence under construction. These citizens then called 911 to report the subject was attempting to break into the building.
Troopers soon located 37-year-old Peter Marshall of Granville and charged him with burglary in connection with the Wells incident. Marshall was issued a citation to appear in Vermont Superior Court in Rutland at a later date.
Aug. 19
1:51 p.m. – Troopers were advised of a citizen dispute in Poultney, responded and contacted both parties involved. Through investigation it was determined that 66-year-old Kevin Flynn of Poultney allegedly discharged a firearm after a brief altercation with his neighbor. Flynn was processed and charged with aggravated assault and lodged at the Marble Valley Correctional Center without bail and pending a further court appearance.
Aug. 26
5:53 p.m. – Troopers from the Vermont State Police Rutland Barracks were conducting motor vehicle enforcement in the Town of Clarendon. They located a vehicle traveling at 88 mph in the posted 55 mph zone on U.S. Route 7. Troopers conducted a motor vehicle stop and identified the operator as Ryan Prim (25) of Bristol. Prim was found to be operating with a criminally suspended license and had current conditions of release not to drive. Prim was issued a Vermont Civil Violation complaint totaling $503 and also issued a criminal citation to appear in Vermont Superior Court in Rutland to answer the above charges
Aug. 28
12:43 a.m. – State Police conducted a motor vehicle stop in Rutland for an observed motor vehicle violation. The operator was identified as 40-year-old
Joseph Mullica of Rutland. During the interaction with troopers, Mullica displayed signs of alleged impairment. He was administered a field sobriety test and subsequently taken into custody for DUI. Through investigation it was determined Mullica’s license was criminally suspended.
Mullica was charged with DUI, second offense and driving with a suspended license. He was released with a citation to appear in Vermont Superior Court in Rutland at a later date.
5:25 p.m. – Troopers responded to a report of a firearms offense on Monument Hill Road in Hubbardton. State Police learned of a prior incident on Aug.4 where 78-year-old David L. Barker of Hubbardton is alleged to have discharged a firearm in the direction of his neighbor. Troopers also learned of a similar incident that had occurred earlier in the day of the report.
Barker was arrested on charges of reckless endangerment and released with a citation to appear in Vermont Superior Court at a later date.
Rutland County Sheriff’s Office
Undetermined date
The Rutland County Sheriff’s Office is requesting information about a series of acts of vandalism that occurred at Poultney Cemetery located of Beaman Street and the Saint Raphael’s Cemetery and building of East Main Street in Poultney.
Anyone with any information related to this vandalism or who witnessed suspicious activity is asked to contact Corporal Greg Ricketts at 802-775-8002.
Fair Haven Police Department
Aug. 23
5:30 p.m. – Police arrested 53-year-old Arthur Stone of Fair Haven as a wanted person from the Middlebury Police Department. During processing, it was determined Stone also had a warrant for his arrest issued by Vermont Superior Court for failure to appear in July for prior charges of cocaine possession.
Stone was subsequently arrested and lodged at the Marble Valley Correctional Center pending further court action.
