Man arrested after cashing $8,500 in Lowes gift cards in Glenmont
DELMAR – On Tuesday, May 14, Bethlehem police Detectives arrested Ming Shan Zhu, 33, of Albany for his involvement in a scam involving gift cards that occurred in Lake County, Fla.
Detectives from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Bethlehem police to assist them with a scam that occurred within their jurisdiction in Florida.
According to detectives, the victim in Florida was contacted by a person by telephone who stated they were from Microsoft and needed $8,500 in Lowes gift cards to repair the victim’s computer. The victim went to Lowes and purchased 17 $500 gift cards and provided the numbers to the person by telephone. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office traced the gift card transaction to the Lowes – 241 Rt 9W in Glenmont. Bethlehem Detectives were able to trace the transaction that occurred at Lowes in Glenmont to Zhu.
Zhu has been charged with Grand Larceny in the third Degree, a felony. He was arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Ryan Donovan and released. He is scheduled to return to court on June 4.
No license, no interlock device, but had beer, kids in back seat and warrant
DELMAR – On Sunday, May 12, Bethlehem police responded to the CVS on Delaware Ave for a report of a man drinking a Keystone beer who was leaving the store’s parking lot with children in the back seat.
According to reports, officers located the vehicle on Delaware Avenue in Albany and performed a traffic stop. Upon interviewing the driver, William Haizlip, 56, of Albany, did not have a valid license. He passed field sobriety tests and consented to have the officers search his car for alcoholic beverages. Officers found no drinks in the vehicle, but a witness at CVS, who is a State Trooper, witnessed Haizlip putting a 24 oz can of Keystone beer in a paper bag under the car before he left.
Haizlip was required to use an interlock device in any vehicle he used due to a past conviction in addition to having 21 suspensions on his license. He also had an outstanding warrant for a parole violation from Albany County.
Officers observed three children of the passenger in the car in the back seat.
Haizlip was charged with circumventing an interlock device, two counts of aggravated unlicensed operation, all misdemeanors, and ticketed for operating a vehicle without a license.
He was given an appearance ticket for Bethlehem Town Court on May 21 and turned over to Albany County Sheriff’s Deputies for the outstanding warrant.
Warrant from 2022
DELMAR – A homeless man who was charged with harassment in December 2022 was arrested again by State Police on Thursday, May 9 for an open warrant because he did not show up not for court.
According to reports, the original incident took place on September 5, 2022 at the Price Chopper in Slingerlands where Paul McMahon, 58, allegedly hit a CDTA bus driver. Police had to apply for a warrant in the case and McMahon was arrested at the Albany VA hospital on December 7, by police there.
He was given an appearance ticket at that time, but did not show up for court. McMahon also had an outstanding warrant from Albany police at that time, but they advised Bethlehem to tell McMahon to turn himself in.
In the most recent arrest, he was given another appearance ticket and released, because the charge is not bail eligible. McMahon is due back in Bethlehem Town Court on June 4.
Responders pull missing woman from Hudson River alive
SELKIRK – On Tuesday, May 14, at approximately 9:14 AM, Bethlehem police responded to the Henry Hudson Park on 162 Lyons Rd for a report of a missing person.
Officers responding to the incident located the vehicle belonging to at 55-year-old missing woman and it was believed she entered the Hudson River earlier in the morning, police said.
A search of the Hudson River was conducted with the assistance of the State Police Aviation Unit, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, Selkirk Fire Department, Coeymans Fire Department, and ENCON.
Several hours into the search, the State Police Aviation Unit located the missing person in the Hudson River just north of Henry Hudson Park. She was pulled out of the river by members of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and transported back to shore.
The woman was conscious and was talking when she arrived on shore. She was treated by Albany County Sheriff’s Office Paramedics and then transported by Delmar-Bethlehem EMS to Albany Medical Center Hospital for further evaluation.
