DELMAR – These are the Police briefs that appeared in September 14 edition of The Spotlight.
Rabid skunk attacks
DELMAR — A Delmar man was attacked and bitten by what was presumably a rabid skunk as he sat down to read in his backyard last Sunday morning.
John Tobison shared on social media that he was sitting quietly reading in his backyard when he observed a skunk charging him from across the yard on Sunday, Sept. 4.
“I froze thinking he’d just run past me,” he stated. “[But,] he proceeded to jump on me and chew on my ankle until I finally kicked him off and ran.”
The Delmar man was initially concerned about being sprayed before heading to the hospital where he would begin a series of immunoglobulin shots.
Bethlehem Animal Control responded to the scene, but was unable to locate the mammal.
The threat of rabies is a growing concern during the spring and summer months. In particular, the Albany County Health Department has issued advisories for residents to be aware of bats, which are also carriers of the virus.
For more information call the Albany County Department of Health at 518-447-4620 or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/rabies external website or the NYS Rabies Lab at www.wadsworth.org/rabies/ external website.
Hit and run leads to arrest
GUILDERLAND — State Police responded to a report of a hit and run crash just west of Exit 24 of the Thruway on Wednesday, Aug 31, at 7:15 pm.
A 34-year-old Scotia woman was operating a 2017 Subaru westbound with a 1-year-old child in the vehicle, when she was struck by a gray Nissan Rogue. The driver of the Rogue failed to stop after the crash.
The woman provided a plate number to which Rotterdam Police located the vehicle a short time later in Schenectady.
The vehicle had damage consistent with the crash. The investigation determined that a 45-year-old Schenectady man was operating the Nissan during the incident.
He was charged with reckless endangerment, reckless driving, obstructing governmental administration, reckless endangerment of property, and multiple other vehicle and traffic violations.
The man was issued appearance tickets returnable to Albany City Court on Monday, Sept. 26 at 9 a.m.
DWI on Thruway
GLENMONT — On Thursday Sept. 1 at 5:07 p.m., State Police responded to a report of an erratic driver traveling north on the Thruway. Troopers spotted the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. The driver, a 48-year-old from Ballston Spa, was determined to be impaired by drugs. She was taken into custody and transported to SP Albany where she refused to submit to a chemical test to determine the alcohol or drug content of her blood.
The woman was charged with Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs and issued an appearance ticket returnable to Bethlehem Town Court on Wednesday, Oct 5. She was turned over to a sober third party.
Felony DWI and drug charges, passenger flees
GLENMONT — Bethlehem police observed a 2011 Chevrolet CZT with a temporary Texas registration traveling on Feura Bush Road on Sunday, Sept. 4 at 2:44 a.m. and performed a traffic stop.
After a DMV check the driver, a 30-year-old woman from Nassau, had a suspended license for pending court prosecution for blood alcohol count and the vehicle had an expired registration. The driver could not produce any documentation that the vehicle was insured. The officer observed that the woman was making random movements with her body and had impared speech and a passenger, a 25 year old man also from Nassau, showed signs of impairment.
The woman told police that she was driving to drop off a Wendy’s door dash order and the passenger stated they were dropping off a Taco Bell order. No Wendy’s food was found in the vehicle.
While waiting for a tow truck, the passenger became irate and approached the vehicle where the officers were conducting an inventory. The man stated that the heroin needles in the vehicle were his and not the woman’s. The officer attempted to take the passenger into custody, but he ran. He eventually stopped running in the area of Sudbury Road and was taken into custody. In the back of the police car the man started sweating and then began seizing. EMS responded and transported the man to the hospital.
At that point, the driver identified the passenger by his real name and also stated she used heroin at 7 p.m. The woman was taken to the police station where she was evaluated by a drug recognition expert and first agreed, then refused to submit to a chemical test.
Inventory of the vehicle found a bag with .40 grams of crack cocaine.
She was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation – drugs, a felony, and DWAI – drugs, aggravated unlicensed operation – suspension, criminal possession of a controlled substance, all misdemeanors, and operating a unregistered vehicle, display plate violation and operating a vehicle without insurance.
The passenger was charged with false impersonation and obstructing governmental administration, both misdemeanors.
The pair were issued appearance tickets and are scheduled to appear in Bethlehem Town Court on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
Albany man arrested for cashing fraudulent check
DELMAR — An Albany man was arrested by Bethlehem police detectives for cashing a fraudulent check at Citizens bank on Delaware Avenue.
On July 11, Bethlehem police received a call from the South Burlington, Vermont police regarding a check cashed in Bethlehem on an account holder in their jurisdiction who also banks with Citizens Bank. The $4,175.90 check was written in the name of a 32-year-old Albany man and cashed at the Delmar branch.
On Tuesday, Sept. 6, police located the man at the Rensselaer County Jail, brought him back to Bethlehem and made the arrest. The man was charged with possession of a forged instrument- second degree and grand larceny, both felonies, and possession of a forged instrument – third degree, a misdemeanor.
He was arraigned by Town Judge Ryan Donovan, bail was set and he was sent back to the Rensselaer County Jail. He is scheduled to return to Bethlehem Town Court on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
DWI in area of Delaware and Cherry avenues
DELMAR — Bethlehem police, while on routine patrol on Cherry Avenue on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 6:47 p.m., observed a 2017 blue Dodge traveling south and swerving over and back across the yellow line. The officer performed a traffic stop at the Valero gas station parking lot on Delaware Ave. The driver identified himself as a 39-year-old Delmar man and the officer observed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from the vehicle. The driver was the only occupant of the vehicle and had droopy eyelids, and bloodshot, watery eyes. He stated that he had one shot of coconut rum before leaving his residence.
The man was given and failed two of three field sobriety tests, tested positive for breath alcohol on a preliminary screening device and taken into custody. At the police station he provided a breath sample that returned a 0.09 percent BAC. He was charged with DWI, issued tickets and released. He is scheduled to return to Bethlehem Town Court on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
Felony DWI on Delaware Avenue
DELMAR — A 31-year-old Watervliet man in a 2020 Ford Fusion was stopped on Delaware Avenue on Thursday, Sept 8 at 1:39 p.m. by Bethlehem police for not staying within his driving lane.
When officers spoke with the man, they noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath, his speech was impaired and he had watery eyes.
The man was given and failed field sobriety tests, tested positive for breath alcohol on a preliminary screening device and taken into custody. At the police station he provided a breath sample that returned a 0.16 percent BAC.
A criminal history search found the man had a previous DWI conviction in January 2017 in the Town of Berne. He was charged with felony DWI and failure to keep right on a two-lane road, a violation. He was given a bill of particulars, issued tickets and released. The man is due back in Bethlehem Town Court on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
