Rotterdam man charged with robbery and other charge, flees after chase and burglar alarm
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to a burglar alarm on Kings Road on Friday, Sept. 8 at 2:40 a.m. after Schenectady police reported they had a pursuit in the same area a short time earlier.
According to reports, when police arrived they suspected that Richard Jack, 31, was still in the woods around the building where the burglar alarm originated and deployed a drone to track his movements.
The police drone has thermal imaging capabilities and officers were able to track Jack’s movement and take him into custody.
He was taken into custody for an outstanding warrant from Colonie and also was in possession of fentanyl and heroin.
He was charged with robbery, grand larceny-third, grand larceny- 4 and aggravated family offense, all felonies, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and harassment, both misdemeanors.
Jack was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge Andrew Sommers.
Checks at two banks in Colonie
COLONIE – On July 25, State Police of Clifton Park received a complaint that multiple fraudulent checks had been cashed from the victim’s business account.
The investigation determined two checks had been deposited by Yaniris Ferreras, 28, of Queens, at two different financial institutions in Colonie resulting in a theft of more than $4,000. On August 10, Ferreras was arrested at her home on a fugitive from justice warrant with the assistance of the Bethel Police Department in Bethel, Conn.
On August 30, she was transferred to the custody of the State Police and processed at the Latham barracks.
Ferreras was arraigned at Colonie Town Court and released on her own recognizance.
Two charged with sex crimes in separate incidents
COLONIE – State Police arrested two Capital Region men for attempting to meet children to have sex.
On August 31, State Police Investigators of Latham arrested Kristian T. Walker, 52, of Gloversville, for attempted criminal sex act in the first degree, a felony.
Investigators arrested Walker with the assistance of Troop G Computer Crimes Unit (CCU) and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC).
During an investigation, it was determined that Walker allegedly made arrangements and traveled to an agreed location in Colonie to meet with what he believed to be a 12-year-old for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Walker was arrested and processed at SP Latham. He was arraigned at the Colonie Town Court and remanded to the Albany County Correctional Facility without bail.
On August 29, State Police Investigators of Latham arrested Abhay K. Shukla, 44, of Watervliet, for attempted criminal sex act in the first degree, a felony.
Investigators arrested Shukla with the assistance of Troop G Computer Crimes Unit (CCU) and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC).
During an investigation, it was determined that Shukla allegedly made arrangements and traveled to an agreed location in Colonie to meet with what he believed to be a 12-year-old for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Shukla was arrested and processed at SP Latham. He was arraigned at the Colonie Town Court and remanded to the Albany County Correctional Facility in lieu of $150,000 cash, a $200,000 bond or a $250,000 partially secured bond.
Wrong way on 787 and aggravated DWI
COLONIE – On September 2 at about 5:23 a.m., State Police assigned to the Latham Interstate Patrol responded to I-787 in Menands, NY for the report of a wrong-way driver traveling northbound in the southbound lane.
The vehicle reportedly crashed, and the driver fled the scene on foot before the Troopers arrived. The driver was located a short time later and identified as a 22-year-old man from Schenectady. He was arrested for aggravated DWI and other Vehicle and Traffic Law violations. He was transported to SP Latham for processing, where he recorded a 0.20% BAC.
The man was issued tickets returnable to the Menands Village Court on September 2 and released to a sober third party.
Warrant from Texas airport
LATHAM – A Maryland woman was the subject of a check a subject in a vehicle call at the Price Chopper on Loudon Road on Friday, Sept. 1 and Colonie police found she was wanted.
According to reports, Dulceata Ghiocel, 34, was in a Ford Expedition the parking lot with two of her children when a check found she was wanted on a warrant from the Dallas Fort Worth Airport police department.
She was taken into custody and processed after confirming the warrant. Ghiocel was sent to the Albany County jail as a pre-arraignment detainee and arraigned by Colonie Judge David Green. She is awaiting extradition to Texas.
Criminal contempt, aggravated family offense
LATHAM – Colonie police responded to a domestic incident on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 3:24 p.m. and they charged a Cohoes man in the incident.
RIchard Davenport, 50, was charged with criminal contempt and aggravated family offense, both felonies, and harassment – physical contact. He was arraigned by Colonie Judge David Green.
Warrant and warrant
COLONIE – Waterford police turned over Tiffany Williams, 33, of Waterford, to Colonie police on Sunday, Sept. 3 because she had an outstanding warrant from the Town of Colonie.
She was processed and released on an appearance ticket so she could be transported to North Greenbush police for an outstanding warrant there.
She is scheduled back in Colonie Town Court on September 20.
Crash and aggravated DWI
COLONIE – A 33-year-old Albany man was driving a red Ford pickup truck on Central Avenue when he was in a crash and Colonie police found that he was drunk on Sunday, Sept. 3.
According to reports, officers observed the man had poor motor skills and an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. The man did admit to consuming alcoholic beverages before the crash.
He was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
At the police station, the man provided a breath sample that returned at least a .18 percent BAC and was charged with aggravated DWI. He was also ticketed with following too closely.
The man was given an appearance ticket for court.
Felony warrant
COLONIE – The Essex County Sheriff’s Office contacted Colonie police on Monday, Sept. 4 to check a residence for a woman wanted for a felony charge.
Officers found Ashley Andersen, 28, of Colonie at her residence and took her into custody on the strength of the warrant.
She was processed and turned over to Essex County.
Warrant
COLONIE – Colonie police took custody of Carmen Palella, 52, of Colonie, from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office on Monday, Sept. 4 on an outstanding warrant because he did not show up to Colonie Town Court.
He was processed and arraigned in front of Colonie Judge David Green.
Criminal possession of a weapon and menacing with a knife
COLONIE – On Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 4:07 p.m., Colonie police responded to a business on Central Avenue for a report of a person with a weapon.
According to reports, George Richardson, 50, of Albany was arrested and charged with criminal possession of weapon, a felony, and menacing with a knife.
He was arraigned by Colonie Judge David Green.
Drugs, fake name and warrant again
LATHAM – A Clifton Park man was the subject of a check a subject call by Colonie police on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 2:02 a.m. on Watervliet Shaker Road.
According to reports, the man was in possession of a controlled substance and gave officers a fake name during the interview. An investigation found the man had outstanding warrants from State Police and Colonie.
Philip Horowitz, 35, of Clifton Park, was charged with forgery, a felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal impersonation, both misdemeanors.
In May, Colonie police found Horowitz asleep with the engine running at a carwash when police arrived to check him. After officers woke him up, he gave them another name at that time because he had outstanding warrants with other police agencies.
At that time, police observed a glass pipe on the console. Horowitz had an amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl. He was arrested and charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal impersonation, all misdemeanors. Horowitz was arraigned in Colonie Town Court and then transported to meet officers from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s office in that case.
This time, Horowitz was processed on the warrant and sent to Albany County jail as a pre-arraignment detainee. To appear in front of Colonie Judge Andrew Sommers later in the day.
Burglary and larceny
SCHODACK – Colonie police traveled to Schodack Town Court on Wednesday, Sept. 6 to pick up a Watervliet woman on Burglary charges that took place in August.
Anna Morlock, 43, was charged with burglary with criminal intent, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor, for an incident on Jones Drive in Colonie.
She was arraigned by Colonie Judge Andrew Sommers.
Six warrants
COLONIE – An Albany man was taken into custody on Wolf Road on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 12:22 p.m. for having six outstanding warrants from the City of Albany.
Caleb Lambert, 60, was processed and transported to meet Albany police.
Identity theft and public lewdness
COLONIE – A Loudonville man was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7:48 p.m. for identity theft and public lewdness after two separate investigations.
According to reports, police were investigating Michael Jeram, 32, for walking near Tipton Drive allegedly exposing himself on August 29 and also a series of identity thefts and a larceny in May.
Jeram was charged with grand larceny and identity theft-first degree, both felonies, and five counts of identity theft-third degree, a misdemeanor, for the one investigation and a count of public lewdness, a misdemeanor, in the other investigation.
He was arraigned by Colonie Judge Andrew Sommers.
Multiple warrants and larceny
RENSSELAER – On Thursday, Sept. 7, Colonie police traveled to the Rensselaer County jail to pick up a Troy man who was being released from the facility because he had two outstanding bench warrants and pending charges against him.
Kevin Gervasio, 37, was taken into custody and charged with the warrants and two counts of petit larceny, a misdemeanor.
While being transported back to Colonie he became ill and requested to be taken to the hospital. He was transported to Albany Memorial hospital by Colonie EMS and given an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on September 20.
This story appeared on page 12 of the September 20, 2023 print edition of the Colonie Spotlight