Water In Fuel Caused Fatal Plane Crash On I-684 At NY, CT Border, NTSB Says
Water that leaked into a small airplane's fuel tanks caused its engine to fail before it crashed onto Interstate 684 near the New York-Connecticut border, killing a Rockland County pilot, federal investigators have determined.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) identified contaminated fuel and an inadequate preflight inspection as the probable causes of the Dec. 12, 2024, crash in a final report released on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The crash killed Jacob Yankele Friedman, 32, of Monsey, a commercial pilot serving as a safety pilot, and seriously injured Kalmen Goldberger, 2…
Tanker Hauling 6,000 Gallons Of Yogurt Sludge Crashes In New York: State Police
A tanker truck carrying 6,000 gallons of yogurt sludge crashed in New York on Thursday morning, Nov. 12, police said.
The sludge shifted in the back of the truck while it was traveling through Chenango County, causing the big rig to tip over onto its right side around 7:20 a.m. Thursday, New York State Police said.
A 30-year-old Hubbardsville man behind the wheel was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
The truck was traveling on Interstate 88 through Chenango, near the interchange with Interstate 81, when the load-shift caused the wreck, police said.
After t…
$5.7M Real Estate Scam: Goldens Bridge Man Exploited Friends, Family To Fund Gambling, Feds Say
A Westchester County man is accused of swindling friends, family members, and longtime acquaintances out of more than $5.7 million by promising lucrative real estate investments, only to spend their money on gambling, personal expenses, and payments to other investors, federal prosecutors said.
Goldens Bridge resident Andrew Laub, 59, was arrested on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and charged with wire fraud in connection with the alleged scheme, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
According to federal prosecutors, Laub carried out the fra…
Repeat Offender From Spring Valley Caught With Loaded Gun While On Parole Pleads Guilty
A convicted felon from Rockland County who was caught with a loaded gun while on parole has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm for a second time — and now faces years behind bars, prosecutors said.
Spring Valley resident Rudy Alphonse, 48, entered his guilty plea in Rockland County Court on Monday, Nov. 9, before Judge Kevin F. Russo, the Rockland County District Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
The plea stems from an incident on Sept. 7, 2025, when Alphonse was found with a loaded, working firearm in Rockland County despite not having a permit or l…
Loaded Gun Discovered In West Hempstead High Student’s Backpack, Police Say
A Long Island high school student hid a gun in his school backpack and is now facing a felony weapons charge, police said.
The 15-year-old West Hempstead High student got into a fight with a Hempstead High student last week, the Nassau County Police Department said Tuesday, Nov. 10.
After West Hempstead High leaders learned about the fight, they searched the teenager’s locker and backpack on Monday, Nov. 9, then discovered a loaded gun inside the bag, police said.
School staff detained the student and called the cops, who responded and arrested the teenager without issue around 2 p.m., aut…
Yorktown T.J. Maxx Theft Suspect Linked To 44 'Quick-Cash' Scams Across Tri-State Area: Cops
A 19-year-old woman accused of stealing from a Westchester County T.J. Maxx store has been arrested in connection with an alleged retail theft scheme involving a crew suspected of carrying out over 40 incidents across the tri-state area, police said.
Alexandra Covaciu, of Sunnyside, Queens, was arrested on Wednesday, Nov. 4, following an investigation into a theft at a TJ Maxx store at the Yorktown Green Shopping Center, the Yorktown Police Department announced on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
The investigation began after the department received a complaint on Sunday, Oct. 25, about a thef…
Rigged Game? Jake’s 58 Casino Stole Workers’ Tips, Fired Employee Who Spoke Out, Lawsuit Claims
A new lawsuit claims Jake’s 58 Casino stole tips from hourly workers and passed them up to managers and supervisors, then canned the employee who complained about it.
Kevin Guttinger filed the suit Monday, Oct. 26 in federal court, nearly two years after he was fired by the hotel/casino operator, according to the court documents.
Guttinger began working as a cashier at Jake’s 58 in Islandia in March 2022 and was making $18 per hour, plus tips, the lawsuit says. The tips were distributed through a general employee pot, which was divided and paid out weekly — frequently topping $50,000, accor…
State Trooper Shoots Armed, Suicidal Man After Berme Road Domestic Dispute Turns Violent: Nysp
New York state troopers shot and wounded a potentially suicidal man on Sunday evening, Nov. 8, police said.
Troopers were called to Berme Road in the Town of Rochester, near the hamlet of Kerhonkson, for reports of a suicidal man involved in a physical domestic dispute around 4:45 p.m. Sunday, New York State Police said.
Reports indicated the man had threatened another individual and multiple children, state police said.
When law enforcement arrived, they found the man holding a firearm, behaving erratically, and making suicidal statements, according to state police.
The man refused to li…
Masked Gunmen Threatened Kids, Beat Victim With Hammer In Teaneck Home Invasion: Prosecutor
Two more men have been charged in a terrifying Bergen County home invasion in which masked gunmen zip-tied four adults, attacked one with a hammer, and threatened to torture and kill a victim's child, authorities announced Friday, Nov. 6.
Alexander Delacruz, 42, and Jerry Perez, 34, both of the Bronx, NY, were identified as additional suspects in the January 2024 home invasion in Teaneck, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
The ordeal began around 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, at a home on East Tryon Avenue, where three masked men armed with handguns restrained two adults with zi…
Booze Burglary: Man Broke Into Ulster Home For One Canned Drink, Police Say
A 20-year-old Hudson Valley man broke into a home just to steal one canned alcoholic beverage from a fridge, police said.
Mark A. Jackson, 20, of Saugerties, was arrested Tuesday, Nov. 3 for the burglary in the Town of Ulster, New York State Police said Friday, Nov. 6.
Troopers investigated a break-in on Birch Street, then determined the only thing stolen was the beverage, authorities said.
However, Jackson was still charged with second-degree burglary, petit larceny, and second-degree trespassing, state police said. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court on Tuesd…
Task Force Tips Leads To Child Porn Arrest In Altamont, Police Say
Child porn was discovered in a Capital Region man’s possession, leading to his arrest Monday, Nov. 2, state police said.
Matthew D. Smith, 41, of Altamont, was charged with possession and promotion of child pornography, New York State Police announced Friday, Nov. 6.
A tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led police to investigate Smith, according to authorities.
Smith was arraigned in Guilderland Town Court, then locked up in Albany County jail on $10,000 cash bail, $20,000 bond, or $40,000 partially secured bond, police said. He remained in jail Friday, accordi…
