Police administer narcan. Both lead to DWAI charges
COLONIE – Overdoses and the use of Narcan to revive drivers is becoming more prevalent in the Town of Colonie with two cases recently.
A 39-year-old Northville man was found unconscious and not breathing in the parking lot of 800 Loudon Road in Latham on Saturday, Aug. 26 at approximately 8:57 p.m.
Officer administered Narcan to the man. The vehicle was running and the transmission was in drive.
Officers observed clues of impairment and the man was taken into custody for DWAI-Drugs and criminal possession of a controlled substance, both misdemeanors. He was transported to Samaritan Hospital by Colonie EMS for further evaluation. The man was given an appearance ticket for Monday, Sept. 11.
A second apparent overdose took place near the intersection of Central and Mather Avenues in Colonie on Tuesday, Sept. 5 at approximately 7:22 a.m.
Officers found the driver of a 2020 Honda CRV unconscious behind the wheel and administered Narcan and the 37-year-old Saratoga Springs woman revived.
The woman was charged with DWAI-Drugs and aggravated unlicensed operation, both misdemeanors. She was taken to Ellis hospital by Colonie EMS and given an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court.
Sentencing in Multi-State Theft Operation
ALBANY – 28-year-old Pashton Rifiqie of Schenectady was sentenced to an indeterminate term of 4 to 12 years in State Prison before Judge William Little in Albany County Court on Sept. 7.
On May 15, Rifiqie pleaded guilty to criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree, a felony. The plea fully satisfied the initial indictment, which included three counts of grand larceny in the third degree, and one count of criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree.
The indictment alleged that on or about June 2, 2022, while at the Colonie Center Mall, the defendant stole over $3,000 worth of property from the Perfume Corner Kiosk.
The defendant was also accused of stealing over $3,000 worth of property from the “Banter by Piercing Pagoda” Kiosk at the same mall, on or about June 8, 2022. He’s also accused of returning to the same kiosk on June 14, 2022, and stealing over $3,000 worth of property again.
Rifiqie is also accused of possessing over $50,000 worth of stolen property on February 16.
In addition to his prison sentence, full restitution must be paid, and no-contact orders of protection were issued on behalf of all victims.
Stolen parts at Spitzies
COLONIE – An investigation into the theft of motor-vehicle parts led to the arrest of a Gloversville man on Friday, Aug. 25 by Colonie police.
John Spratt Jr., 43, who was a technician at Spitzies on Central Avenue, was charged with grand larceny, a felony. He was processed and released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on August 30.
Multiple warrants for grand larceny
COLONIE – An Albany woman was making the rounds to police agencies and courts in the Capital District over the past few weeks and passed through the Colonie police department on Friday, August 25.
Jon’Neasia Welcome, 19, was turned over to officers by Guilderland police after they processed her for her warrants.
She was charged with grand larceny, a felony, for an April 1 incident at Bath and Body works on Central Avenue. Welcome was processed and released on an appearance ticket by Colonie Judge Norman Massry. She was then transported to Gloversville for another warrant.
Bethlehem police traveled up the Northway on August 15 to retrieve her on an open arrest warrant for grand larceny, a felony, and conspiracy, a misdemeanor from the Saratoga County jail.
Welcome was one of three people arrested for stealing $2,411.96 worth of merchandise from Lowes on Route 9W in Glenmont on April 3. They were identified by facial recognition on surveillance cameras. The three were involved in other thefts in the capital region and were linked to the Glenmont larceny.
Welcome was arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Andrew Kirby and sent back to the Saratoga County jail before she was picked up by Guilderland, Colonie and Gloversville. She is scheduled back in court on September 19.
Felony DWI
LATHAM – Colonie police stopped a vehicle near the intersection of Lear Jet Lane and Wade Road Extension on Saturday, Aug. 26 at approximately 4:37 p.m. for traffic violations and found the driver drunk.
According to reports, it was not the first time the driver, Christopher Pollock, 35, of Cohoes, had been caught driving drunk.
He was charged with felony DWI and misdemeanor operating a vehicle with a suspended registration. He was also ticketed for an improper turn on a two-way road, failing to stop at a stop sign and drinking in a motor vehicle.
Pollock was processed and released on an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on Monday, Sept. 11.
Warrant and released by judge
LATHAM – On Saturday, Aug. 26 at approximately 8:11 p.m., Colonie police responded to the Exxon on Loudon Road to a check-a-subject call and found an East Greenbush woman drunk and wanted.
Shannon Taylor, 40, was detained because she did not show up for court in May. Colonie Town Judge David Green was contacted by police and he advised them to release her on an appearance ticket for September 20.
Multiple counts criminal contempt and aggravated family offense
COLONIE – A Colonie man was the subject of person-annoying call by Colonie police on Sunday, Aug. 27 at approximately 3:08 a.m. in the village of Colonie.
According to reports, an investigation found that Orlando Perez, 32, of Colonie, was drunk and had an active arrest warrant from police.
He was arrested at the scene and charged with two counts of both criminal contempt – prior conviction and aggravated family offense, both felonies.
Perez was sent to the Albany County jail as a pre-arraignment detainee until he could be arraigned later in the day.
Outside warrant
LATHAM – On Sunday, Aug. 27 at approximately 9:40 p.m., Colonie police responded to a residence for a domestic call and found a man wanted by the State Police.
Jeffery Ashley was found to have an active bench warrant and was taken into custody at his home. He was transported to meet State Police.
Felony weapons charges
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to Margarita City Mexican Grill And Bar on Central Avenue on Monday, Aug. 28 at approximately 2:30 p.m. and found a Troy man in possession of illegal weapons.
Jose Cintron, 37, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, third degree, and fourth degree, all felonies, for having a semiautomatic handgun. He was arraigned at Albany Medical Center by Albany City Court Judge Holly Trexler.
Failure to appear
COLONIE – A 45-year-old Watervliet man was turned over to Colonie police following a traffic stop on Wednesday, Aug. 30 at approximately 11:49 a.m. for an outstanding warrant in the town.
Osama Elmardi was processed and released on an appearance ticket returnable to Colonie Town Court on September 6.
Five larcenies and warrant
COLONIE – On Wednesday, Aug. 30 at approximately 5:29 p.m., Colonie police responded to a larceny in progress at Target on Central Avenue.
According to reports, James Richardson, 32, of Albany, was observed by loss prevention employees allegedly stealing from the store. When officers located Richardson he fled on foot and a brief chase ensued.
He was taken into custody and found to have two additional outstanding warrants from the town for a total of eight incidents. Richardson was charged with grand larceny, a felony, and four counts of petit larceny and resisting arrest, all misdemeanors. He was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge Norman Massry.
Fake returns at Lowes
COLONIE – Edward Sawicz, 54, of Schenectady, turned himself in on Wednesday, Aug. 30 to face charges in relation to an incident at Lowes on Central Avenue.
According to reports, Sawicz made fraudulent returns at the store while employed there on August 8.
He was charged with falsifying business records, a felony, making a false business entry, and petit larceny, both misdemeanors. Sawicz was processed and released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on September 13.
Warrant
COLONIE – A homeless man was taken into custody on Wednesday, Aug. 30 at approximately 9:22 p.m. after Colonie police responded to Mavis Discount Tire on Central Avenue for a report of a person stealing from cars.
According to reports, officers ran a check on Michael Kabler, 49, and found that he had an outstanding warrant from the town.
He was processed and given an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on September 13.
Warrant and fourth arrest for 2018 larceny
COLONIE – A homeless man was arrested for the fourth time on Thursday, Aug. 31 for not showing up to court to face charges stemming from a June 2018 incident where he allegedly stole items from a store in Glenmont Plaza on Route 9W.
Michael Gavin, 35, was detained in Colonie and transported to Bethlehem. He was arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Andrew Kirby and Kirby set bail at $1,000 cash or $2,000 partially secured bond.
Gavin was arrested in February 2022 on a bench warrant for not showing up for court and released on his own recognizance by Kirby that time. He was also arrested on a bench warrant in September 2019 for not showing up for the original court date of the original arrest for petit larceny in February 2019. That time he was released by Kirby under the supervision of probation, but that obviously did not work.
DWI
COLONIE – Colonie police stopped a vehicle near the intersection of Central Avenue and Lanci Lane for traffic violations on Friday, Sept. 1.
According to reports, when officers interviewed the driver, a 26-year-old Greenfield Center woman they observed she had bloodshot and glassy eyes, poor motor coordination and an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from her breath.
She was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
The woman was charged with DWI and ticketed for passing a red light and failure to keep right.
She was processed and released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on September 18.
DWI
COLONIE – A 32-year-old Scotia man was involved in a property damage accident on Lombard Street on Friday, Sept. 1 at 7:03 a.m. and was allegedly drunk behind the wheel.
Colonie police responded to the crash and observed the driver to have a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. He refused to take field sobriety tests, but did test positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
At the police station he refused breath tests.
The man was charged with DWI and ticketed for failure to keep right.
He was released with an appearance ticket for September 11.
Unconscious and felony DWI
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to the parking lot of 110 Wolf Road for a check a person call on Friday, Sept. 1 at approximately 4:42 p.m. and found the driver of a car passed out behind the wheel.
Officers woke him up and observed Geoffrey Edmonds, 69, of Voorheesville, had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech and an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. He was given and failed field sobriety tests. He was taken into custody and transported to St. Peters hospital and given an appearance ticket for September 11.