Man steals car, has it crushed
NEW SCOTLAND – On March 9 State Police arrested Mark J. Wallace Jr., 37, of New Scotland, for Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property and Falsifying Business Records, all felonies.
On December 9, 2021, at about 2 p.m., Troopers received a report that a vehicle had been stolen from a property in the town of New Scotland. An investigation determined Wallace took the vehicle from the property without permission. He then took the vehicle to a scrap yard to sell, and while there, he falsified documents by claiming he owned the vehicle. As a result of his actions, the vehicle was crushed.
Wallace surrendered himself to State Police in Coxsackie and was transported to the barracks in Latham for processing. He was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the New Scotland Town Court on Thursday, March 23 and released.
DWAI on Delaware
DELMAR – An Albany County Sheriff’s road patrol observed a red Mitsubishi Eclipse swerving within its lane on Thursday, March 9 on Delaware Turnpike and the deputy continued to follow the car until it reached a safe area for a traffic stop.
The vehicle crossed over the center line multiple times during that time and the officer performed a traffic stop on Delaware Avenue. While the officer was interviewing the driver, a 33-year-old Albany man, he observed the odor of burnt marijuana emanating from inside the car.
When the deputy asked the man if he consumed any alcohol recently, the driver said no, but did say he had smoked “a little bit of weed” and that it was smoked about five minutes ago. The officer also observed ashes on his chest and burnt marijuana. The man was given and failed field sobriety tests, evaluated by another deputy who was ARIDE certified for drug recognition and was taken into custody for DWAI.
He was charged with DWAI, a misdemeanor, and other traffic violations and given an appearance ticket for Bethlehem Town Court on Tuesday, March 21.
Unregistered, unlicensed,
passenger wanted
GLENMONT – A car stopped for violations on Route 9W on Saturday, March 11 at 2:04 p.m. led to the arrest of the driver and passenger.
Bethlehem police, patrolling in the area, were notified by the license-plate reader of the patrol unit that a car traveling on the highway had an expired registration. The officer stopped the car and also found that the car was uninspected and uninsured and the driver did not have a license. The driver was a 37-year-old Troy man and had only a non-driver ID.
The passenger in the car, Lislie J. Holguin-Colon, 40, of Troy, had an outstanding warrant from the City of Troy. She was taken into custody, processed and transported to meet Troy police.
The driver was charged with operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration and aggravated unlicensed operation, both misdemeanors, and operating a motor vehicle without insurance, operating a motor vehicle without an inspection certificate and operation of a motor vehicle by an unlicensed driver, all violations.
He was processed, given an appearance ticket for Tuesday, March 28 to Bethlehem Town Court and released.
Felony DWI –
Leandra’s Law
SELKIRK – Bethlehem police responded to a one-car crash in the area of Pictuay and Bridge Roads and found a 2015 Jeep crashed into a guard rail near the intersection on Saturday, Feb. 25. Officers observed a male, a female and a child outside the vehicle.
An investigation found that Tyler Cameron, 28, of Selkirk, was driving. The officers observed that an odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath and his eyes were glassy and bloodshot.
Cameron was not cooperative and would not complete field sobriety tests or submit to a test on a pre-screening device for breath alcohol. He also attempted to walk away from the officers during the incident.
A later search of the vehicle yielded four unopened beers. At the police station Cameron refused to take a breath test and he continually stated that he did not understand and requested his attorney. After a call with the attorney, he still refused to take the test.
Because there was a child in the car, Cameron was charged with felony aggravated DWI with a child passenger under 17, endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, and moving from a lane unsafely, a violation.
He was given a bill of particulars and given an appearance ticket for Bethlehem Town Court on Tuesday, March 7. CPS was notified by police.
DWI in snowstorm
DELMAR – A Delmar man was arrested for DWI on Delaware Avenue after he almost hit firefighters directing traffic around downed power lines on Elsmere Avenue during the snowstorm on Saturday, March 4 at 12:34 a.m.
Firefighters had to quickly move to avoid the car driven by Ryan Kovacs, 22, of Delmar, continued driving down Elsmere and turned on Delaware Avenue with Bethlehem police chasing him. He eventually stopped at the Stewarts at 309 Delaware.
When officers made contact with Kovacs, they observed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath.
Kovacs was given and failed field sobriety tests, tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device and taken into custody.
At the police station he provided a breath sample that returned a .14 percent BAC. He was charged with DWI, a misdemeanor, and speed not reasonable and prudent, traffic device violation and failing to exercise due care to avoid colliding with an emergency vehicle.
Kovacs was given a bill of particulars and an appearance ticket to Bethlehem Town Court on Tuesday, March 21.
Felony DWI –
Leandra’s Law
GLENMONT – Bethlehem police responded to a vehicle crash at the corner of Route 9W and Wemple Road on Wednesday, March 15 at 11:10 p.m. and found one of the drivers showing signs of impairment with a child in the car.
According to reports, Christine Penczu, 33, of Catskill, first stated that the other vehicle ran a red light and hit her, but an investigation determined that Penczu ran the light causing the other driver to hit her.
While interviewing Penczu, officers observed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from her breath and she said she had consumed a glass of wine earlier.
Penczu refused to perform field sobriety tests or provide a sample for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device and was taken into custody.
An inventory of the car revealed an open bottle of red wine on the floor of the vehicle. The father picked up the uninjured child at the scene.
At the police station, Penczu refused to provide a breath sample.
She was charged with felony DWI – with a child under 16, child endangerment, a misdemeanor, and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle, a violation.
She was given an appearance ticket returnable to Bethlehem Town Court on Tuesday, April 4. Police did notify CPS and she was released.
Drinking in car, aggravated DWI
GLENMONT – Bethlehem police responded to Walmart on Friday, March 10 to check a vehicle for a report of a man drinking in a silver Nissan Rogue.
As the officer arrived, he observed the vehicle illegally pull out on Route 9W from Bender Lane and initiated a traffic stop.
The driver of the Rogue was a 40-year-old Selkirk man and officers observed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath and an open large container of an alcoholic beverage in the console cup holder.
The man was given and failed field sobriety tests, tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device and was taken into custody.At the police station the man provided a breath sample that returned a .23 percent BAC.
He was charged with aggravated DWI, a misdemeanor, and violations of drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle, failing to use designated lane and improper turn at an intersection.
He was given an appearance ticket and released. He is scheduled to return to Bethlehem Town Court on Tuesday, March 21.