Two men use hammer, wrench and bat in alleged assault
GLENMONT – Bethlehem police charged two men in connection with an altercation over a Snapchat video that started at an Albany hookah bar and ended with two men being assaulted.
On Friday, Dec. 1, officers responded to the Walmart parking lot for a report of two men being attacked with bats. When police arrived, they found one victim with a laceration to the back of his head and the man said that he and another man were assaulted.
According to reports, the conflict began earlier in the night at a hookah lounge in the City of Albany where one of the victims recorded a Snapchat video at the lounge and Zaryab Khan, 24, of Glenmont, became upset over being recorded. Although the man allegedly showed Zaryab Khan the video, he was still upset and the verbal argument continued.
After the two victims left, Zaryab attempted to contact the victim again via Snapchat and the argument continued. The two men told police that they then drove to Zaryab Khan’s residence in Glenmont to resolve the conflict and “be civil.”
Once the two men arrived at the residence, Zaryab Khan left his residence and the altercation moved to the Walmart parking lot. The altercation escalated to physical choking and fighting, according to the report.
At this point Zaryab Khan contacted Shahid Khan, 31, of Colonie, to “come with everything you got” and “we’ll make sure these guys don’t walk home.”
When Shahid arrived he took a hammer, small bat and a socket wrench out of the trunk and gave Zaryab the bat.
Zaryab allegedly charged one man with the bat and hit him in the arms, legs and back. During the fight, Shahid allegedly hit the men with the hammer about their bodies over 20 times and seven times to the head.
Bethlehem EMS was called and both victims were evaluated and taken to Albany Medical Center for further evaluation. They said they waited for 5-6 hours at the hospital and were told it would be 4-5 more before they received medical care, so they left the hospital to be evaluated at Albany Memorial Hospital the next day.
The two men said they would like to pursue charges and police completed a warrant application.
On Monday, Dec. 3 at 11:42 p.m. Bethlehem police arrested Zaryab Khan on an active arrest warrant at a traffic stop and took him into custody.
Shahid Khan turned himself in to Bethlehem police on Tuesday, Dec. 19 and was arrested on the strength of the warrant.
They both were charged with aggravated assault – with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon, a felony, and criminal obstruction of breathing, criminal possession of weapon and menacing with a weapon, all misdemeanors.
Zaryab was arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Ryan Donovan and sent to Albany County jail in lieu of $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond. He is due back in court on January 2.
Shahid was arraigned by Judge Andrew Kirby and sent to the Albany County jail without bail. He also had prior felony convictions. He is scheduled back in court on January 16.
Two family-member scams in Bethlehem, took over $20k from local victims
DELMAR – On Wednesday, Dec. 13, the Bethlehem Police Department put out a public alert informing the public about two incidents involving thieves scamming local residents.
“It is not a new type, but what raised concern is that it happened twice in almost the same way,” Bethlehem Deputy Chief James Rexford said. “They were not very far apart, timewise, and they had very specific information about residents. It could be the same person doing this.”
The “scammers” contact elderly residents stating there is an emergency relating to a family member or that bail money is needed to get a family member out of jail. The scammer requests a large amount of money in cash.
In both of these cases, the thieves sent an uber to pick up the package of money, Rexford said.
The Uber in both cases drove to a gas station in the lower Hudson Valley and met a person to give the package.
“We are trying to figure out how they are identifying the victims and how they are getting the victim’s information, like the actual names of relatives,” Rexford said. “Our concern is that if there are already two in this area, there will most likely be more attempts.”
In the two cases being investigated by Bethlehem Detectives, one victim was defrauded of $16,000 and the other was over $10,000.
“Detectives were able to recover some of the money for one of the victims,” he said.
Police are applying for search warrants for phone records at this point in the hope of getting more. The investigation is continuing.
Police request that if you receive a call of this nature to first contact the family member in question to validate any claims and then call the police department to report the incident. The non-emergency number is 518-439-9973
Crash leads to DWI
DELMAR – Bethlehem police responded to the area of Oakwood and Dumbarton Road in regards to a rollover crash on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 10:39 p.m.
According to reports, when officers arrived they found a 2024 Jeep Wrangler off the road and four people around or near the vehicle.
One back-seat passenger was ejected from the vehicle and was laying on the ground. The driver was talking on the phone and walking around the car. One of the two other passengers was also injured. All parties involved were transported to the Albany Medical Center Hospital for evaluation.
When officers interviewed the driver, a 22-year-old New Iberia, La. woman, officers observed the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from her breath, bloodshot and watery eyes and had impaired motor coordination. She was given and failed some field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
The woman submitted to a chemical test at the hospital.
She was charged with DWI, given a bill of particulars and issued tickets for speeding, moving from a lane unsafely and not wearing a seatbelt by a driver or passenger.
The woman is scheduled in Bethlehem Town Court on January 2.
Larceny and two warrants
GLENMONT – On Monday, Dec. 11, Bethlehem police responded to Walmart on Route 9W for a report of a larceny. Upon arrival, officers located the subject, Jenay Willingham, 32, of Albany, inside Taco Bell and was detained and taken back to the store.
Willingham was able to turn over all stolen merchandise back to the store and Walmart declined to press charges.
She did, however, have two outstanding warrants from the City of Albany and East Greenbush. Willingham was arrested by Bethlehem police in May for having an outstanding warrant in East Greenbush at that time.
She was transported to meet officers from East Greenbush. Albany police advised Willingham to turn herself in.
Warrant
SLINGERLANDS – Bethlehem police responded to reports of two subjects riding bicycles on New Scotland Road at 12:21 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 12 and found one of the men was wanted.
According to reports, Dominick DiBlasi, 39, of Albany, had an outstanding warrant from the Albany City police for criminal contempt – second degree.
He was transported to meet Albany police.
Drugs, DWAI and unresponsive
GLENMONT – Bethlehem police responded to the Delamar Bypass near the intersection of Elsmere Avenue on Monday, Dec. 11 at 5:15 p.m. for a report of a car in the median with an unresponsive driver.
According to reports, when police arrived they found a black Nissan Altima in the median, the car running and the vehicle transmission in drive. The driver, identified as Lauren Stipe, 34, of Selkirk was observed to be extremely disoriented.
When the officer opened the door to check the driver, Stipe became irate and stepped on the accelerator. She eventually exited the vehicle and said she was picking up her husband.
Officers observed that while interviewing Stipe, she had exaggerated reflexes, was grinding her teeth, was very talkative and said she was cold.
She submitted to field sobriety tests which indicated impairment. She tested negative for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device and was taken into custody.
Stipe submitted to a blood draw and provided a breath sample that returned a .00 percent BAC. She was evaluated by a Drug Recognition Expert.
A search of her purse revealed 3.05 grams of MDMA.
Stipe was charged with criminal possession of a hallucinogenic substance, a felony, and DWAI-Drugs, a misdemeanor and ticketed for unsafe lane change.
She was arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Ryan Donovan and released under the supervision of probation. Stipe is scheduled back in court on January 2 and released.
Warrant
GLENMONT – A Walmart employee who allegedly took money from cash registers on eight dates in July and August was arrested again by Bethlehem police on Thursday, Dec. 14 for an outstanding warrant as he was being released from the Schenectady County jail.
This time, Kaseem Galloway, 32, of Schenectady, was arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Andrew Kirby and released on an appearance ticket for January 2. Galloway was then picked up by Troy police for an active warrant from there.
This story was featured on page 16 of the December 27, 2023 print edition of the Spotlight
