Missing Delmar woman found dead
KNOX – On Tuesday, August 8, at approximately 4:59 p.m., Albany County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the area, 106 Nature Center Way in the Town of Knox, to check an unoccupied vehicle that had been parked in the area since Sunday evening.
Upon a registration check of the vehicle, deputies learned the registered owner was reported missing to the Bethlehem Police Department on August 6.
After checking the area, deputies located a 71-year-old Delmar woman who was unresponsive in Thompson Lake close to the shore line.
There are no signs of foul play and the case is still under investigation, pending toxicology, and an autopsy will be conducted on a later date.
Two arrested for Larceny, two warrants, four criminal contempts and released
GLENMONT – A pair from Albany were the subject of a larceny in progress call at Price Chopper on Route 9W on Saturday, Aug. 5 at approximately 12:15 p.m., and Bethlehem police took them into custody a short while later with $330.53 worth of merchandise they allegedly stole.
Leon Johnson, Jr, 40, and Jessica Corrodor, 31, were taken into custody and both had outstanding warrants from other courts. This is not the first time in Bethlehem, however.
On Sunday, April 30, Bethlehem police responded to a larceny in progress call at Shoprite. When officers arrived, store employees reported that two people ran from the store towards the Price Chopper plaza.
Officers located Johnson and Corrodor at the CDTA bus stop at Price Chopper and found the stolen merchandise in their possession.
Shoprite declined to prosecute the pair for the larceny, but a check showed that Johnson had a full court-stay-away order from Corrodor and also had three prior convictions for criminal contempt. He was charged with felony criminal contempt, his fourth, then arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Ryan Donovan and sent to the Albany County jail without bail.
Johnson did get out of jail, but did not show up for his court dates in May. A warrant was issued for his arrest.
The full-stay-away order was still in effect on August 5 and he was also wanted by Troy police.
Corrodor had an outstanding warrant from Watervliet.
This time, Johnson was charged with felony criminal contempt for the fifth time and petit larceny, a misdemeanor. Police contacted Bethlehem Judge Ryan Dononvan by phone. He vacated the warrant and Johnson was given a court letter with a return date of September 5 for the April 30 charges and an appearance ticket for the same date for the August 5 charges.
Troy police were notified by Bethlehem police about Johnson’s outstanding warrant there and were told to advise Johnson to turn himself in. He was then released.
Corrodor was charged with petit larceny, a misdemeanor, and transported to meet Watervliet police on the outstanding warrant there. She is scheduled back in Bethlehem Town Court on Tuesday, August 15.
Grand larceny, check fraud from 2018, warrant, released
DELMAR – A Menands woman turned herself in on an outstanding bench warrant on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at approximately 12:40 p.m., in connection with a 2018 arrest for passing fraudulent checks at SEFCU in Glenmont.
Damira Santiago, now 26, was one of three people arrested for the fraud on April 27, 2018.
At that time, she was arraigned and released under the supervision of probation and was scheduled to be back in Court on May 1, 2018.
She was charged with possession of a forged instrument, grand larceny and scheme to defraud, all felonies, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor.
Santiago, however, at some point, did not show up for a court date and a bench warrant was issued.
When she turned herself in, a Bethlehem Town Judge has to clear the warrant and usually that is done at an arraignment. The judge, at that point, has to decide if the charges are bail eligible and then decide to set bail or not.
The three original felonies were bail eligible when they were charged in 2018, but are not under the bail reforms in 2020. However, if Santiago was charged with other felonies since the 2018 arrest or was charged by probation for a violation, the judge would be able to set bail under the 2023 changes to bail reform.
It is also unclear why the county probation department never violated her in the five years she did not show up for court.
According to reports, police contacted the court and the judge advised Santiago to come back at 4 p.m. and she was released after the warrant was vacated by the Bethlehem Judge. The name of the judge was not specified.
At the time of publication, we do not know if she was arraigned.
No license but had warrant
GLENMONT – On Tuesday, Aug. 1 at approximately 2:17 p.m., Bethlehem police responded to a property damage accident on Old River Road and found a car had lost a rear wheel, with the axle still attached, and damaged a fence and post along the road.
According to reports, officers found that the driver, Brandy Blevins, 41, of Hudson, did not have a valid license and had an outstanding warrant from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Blevins was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, a misdemeanor, and ticketed for operating a motor vehicle without a valid license and no inspection sticker.
She was processed and transported to meet deputies from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
The blotter appeared on page 12 of the August 16 issue of The Spotlight
