DELMAR – These are the Police briefs that appeared in December 7th edition of The Spotlight.
Man shoots himself with illegal gun
VOORHEESVILLE — Albany County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a South Main Street residence for a report of a man who suffered an injury to his leg on Thursday, Dec 1 at approximately 7 p.m.
After further investigation, deputies determined that Ronald Henry Jr., 37, appeared to have suffered an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound and was transported to Albany Medical Center.
Henry did not have a pistol permit for the handgun and could not lawfully possess the weapon.
He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, criminal possession of a firearm, and tampering with physical evidence, all felonies.
He was arraigned in New Scotland Town Court and sent to the Albany County Jail without bail.
Crash on Lower Flat Rock Road
DELMAR — On Friday, Nov. 18 at approximately 8:37 p.m. Albany County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the corner of State Route 443 and Lower Flat Rock Road in New Scotland for a report of a vehicle in a ditch.
Upon arrival, witnesses told officers that they had found the truck in the ditch and the operator was still in the vehicle.
When officers approached the black pickup they found the driver, a 64-year-old Green Island man, still in the driver’s seat, with the keys in the ignition and the truck transmission still in drive. The officer observed an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. The man said he was driving home to Troy from Swifty’s where he had two Maker’s Mark singles.
The man refused to submit to field sobriety tests and was taken into custody.
At the police station, he provided a breath sample that returned a .16 percent BAC. He was charged with DWI and failing to stop at a stop sign.
He was given an appearance ticket for Thursday, Dec. 1 in New Scotland Town Court and released.
Driving with no lights, criminal possession methadone
DELMAR — Bethlehem police observed a blue Ford Fiesta traveling east on Delaware Avenue without any lights on Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 11:17 p.m. and performed a traffic stop near Delaware Plaza.
Upon interviewing the driver, Nicholas McGraw Jr., of Watervliet, he said he did not have his identification with him. After a check, McGraw had 14 active suspensions on his license.
The passenger in the car was reclined in the front seat and talking on the phone when the officers interviewed him. He also did not have an ID, but did provide his name or at least part of it. The passenger was identified as Antonio Fonseca, 43, of Albany and wanted on a parole violation warrant.
When asked if he had anything on his person he should not have, Fonseca said he had some methadone he was holding for someone else and a crack pipe. He had four unopened bottles of prescription methadone which did not have his or McGraw’s name on it.
Fonseca was arrested for criminal possession of methadone and the parole warrant, both felonies.
McGraw was given an appearance ticket for aggravated unlicensed operation, a misdemeanor, and failing to use headlights, a violation. He was released from the scene.
Fonseca was arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Andrew Kirby and sent to the Albany County Jail. He is scheduled back in court on Tuesday, Dec 20.
Stolen tips at Comfort Inn leads to more
GLENMONT — Bethlehem police responded to a call on Friday, Nov 23, at 10:23 a.m. to investigate the theft of money from a tip jar at the cafeteria of the Comfort Inn on Route 9W.
Responding officers were shown surveillance video of a woman taking the money and returning to a room in the hotel. The staff member attempted to retrieve the money by knocking on the door, but no one would answer. He just wanted the money back for the cafeteria staff and not to press charges.
When the officer spoke with the woman, Natalie Dames, 20, of Albany and a companion, Markus Jubrey, 18, also of Albany, Dames admitted taking $8 from the tip jar and agreed to return it.
Upon further investigation, the officer found that both Dames and Jubrey had outstanding warrants from Rensselaer County and took them into custody.
They were transported to the Rensselaer County Jail where they were picked up by the Sheriff’s Department.
Two wanted people and illegal U-turn
DELMAR — On Monday, Nov 28, Bethlehem police observed a 2011 Volvo make an illegal U-turn in the intersection of Kenwood and Cherry Avenues.
The officer conducted a traffic stop and found that the driver of the car, Tabatha Sanders, 56, had an outstanding warrant from Saratoga County for grand larceny, a felony, after running a check.
After a check on the identification of a passenger in the Volvo, identified as William Johnson, police found that he also had multiple active warrants from various agencies.
Saratoga County Sheriff’s deputy drove to the scene and issued an appearance ticket to Sanders and she was released from the scene.
After contacting the agencies that issued the warrants for Johnson, all of the agencies requested that he be advised to turn himself in at a later date.
Sanders was ticketed for the illegal U-turn.
