Police seek public’s help in Central Avenue pedestrian death
COLONIE – Colonie Police Department Traffic Division is investigating a crash involving a pedestrian that occurred at 11:55 on Saturday, Nov 12. A 2023 Ford F-150 was westbound on Central Avenue when it struck a pedestrian in the intersection with Fuller Road.
The driver immediately stopped and along with the passengers exited the vehicle to check on the pedestrian. Passers-by contacted the Colonie Police through 9-1-1. Colonie EMS responded but the pedestrian succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Neither speed nor driver impairment appear to be factors in the crash.
The pedestrian was in the vehicle lane of travel, not the crosswalk, when the crash occurred. Police identified the pedestrian after an investigation because he had no identification on him at the time.
The man was identified as David Herskind, 49, no current address available.
Anyone who may have witnessed or has video footage of the crash, or is able to help identify the victim is asked to contact investigators at 518 782-2620.
The driver of the car was not hurt.
This is an open investigation.
Man forces way into house, then DWI
COLONIE – A 35-year old Schenectady man allegedly broke into a village residence during a domestic incident, then police found him driving drunk on Albany Street.
Zachery Davis, was pulled over by Colonie police at 1:55 a.m. on October 28 and officers observed him to have bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech, poor motor coordination and an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. He was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
He was charged with burglary and criminal contempt, both felonies, and DWI and criminal mischief, both misdemeanors, and harassment, failure to stay in a single lane and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle.
Davis was sent to the Albany County jail as a pre-arraignment detainee and was arraigned by Colonie Judge Norman Massry later the day.
Larceny and warrant
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to Macy’s at Colonie Center on Saturday, Oct. 28 for a theft at the store.
Officers took Shawn Soucia, 29, of Schenectady into custody and found that he had an open felony DOCCS parole absconder warrant. Soucia was charged with petit larceny and transported him to the Albany County jail.
No registration, but got DWI
COLONIE – Colonie police stopped a vehicle near the intersection of Central and Lincoln Avenues on Sunday, Oct. 29 at approximately 1:13 a.m.
Upon interviewing the driver, a 41-year-old Albany man, officers observed he had slurred speech, poor motor coordination and had an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath.
He was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
At the police station he was charged with DWI and operating with a suspended registration, both misdemeanors and ticketed for speeding, failing to stay in a single lane, and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle.
The man was released with an appearance ticket for November 6 in Colonie Town Court.
Fugitive from justice
COLONIE – A local woman was the subject of a call for service at the Quality Inn on Central Avenue and a record check found she was wanted on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 6:09 a.m.
Angel Terrell-Gary, 22, of Colonie, had a warrant out of Clayton County, Georgia. Police confirmed the warrant and the Clayton County Sheriff’s office said they wanted to come get her.
Terrell-Gary was sent to the Albany County jail to await extradition.
Warrant
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to a call for a disabled vehicle on Route 9 near the Crescent bridge on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 1:47 p.m. When officers checked the identification of the driver, Abdiel Carderomoya, 26, of Troy, they found he had an outstanding warrant from the City of Troy.
He was taken into custody and transported to meet Troy police.
Felony assault
COLONIE – A 29-year-old Albany woman turned herself in to Colonie police on Sunday, Oct. 29 after an incident the day before at Colonie Center.
Dezaray Winslow, was charged with felony assault with a weapon and issued an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on November 15.
Armed robbery on Boght Road
WATERVLIET – An Albany pair were arrested by Colonie police at a home where they allegedly robbed a Boght Road home on Sunday, Oct. 29.
Police took Melissa Permaul, 36, in custody at 2:15 p.m. and located Raymale Thompson, 38, at the property and took them into custody.
Permaul and Thompson were charged with robbery – forcible theft with a deadly weapon, burglary-Illegal night entry to cause injury and grand larceny, all felonies. Thompson was also additionally charged with criminal possession of a weapon and assault with intent to cause injury with a weapon, both felonies.
They both were processed and sent to the Albany County jail as pre-arraignment detainees and were arraigned by Colonie Judge Norman Massry the next day.
Criminal contempt and burglary
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to a domestic violence call on Forest Drive and arrested a Schenectady woman on Monday, Oct. 30 at 2:03 a.m.
Sarah Berben, 34, was charged with criminal contempt – first degree, burglary – causing physical injury and burglary- with criminal intent, all felonies, and disobeying a court mandate, assault with intent to cause physical injury, and petit larceny, all misdemeanors, and harassment – physical contact, a violation.
Berben was sent to the Albany County jail as a pre-arraignment detainee and was arraigned later in the morning by Colonie Judge David Green.
Domestic charges
COLONIE – On Monday, Oct. 30, Colonie police responded to a home in the Village for a domestic dispute.
After an investigation, officers arrested Jonathan Sharer, 42, of Colonie and charged him with assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon and criminal possession of a weapon, both felonies and criminal obstruction of breathing, a misdemeanor.
Sharer was arraigned in Colonie Town Court by Judge Norman Massry.
Criminal contempt
LATHAM – A 26-year-old Troy man was arrested for allegedly harassing a person at Peter Harris Clothes via phone on Monday, Oct. 30.
Shaheed Tolliver-Fries was picked up by Colonie police at Samaritan Hospital and charged with criminal contempt – first degree, a felony, and aggravated harassment, a misdemeanor.
Tolliver-Fries was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge David Green and sent to the Albany County jail.
Warrant
ALBANY – An Albany woman was arrested by Colonie police at Albany City Court on Monday, Oct. 30 and taken back to Colonie for an outstanding arrest warrant.
Elsa Fleisher, 27, was charged with failing to show up for court in September. She was arraigned by Colonie Judge David Green.
Aggravated criminal contempt and assault
COLONIE – A 31-year-old Schenectady man turned himself in to Colonie police on Wednesday, Nov. 1 for an incident that took place at the Dollar Tree on Loudon Road on October 21.
Kishian Narine, was charged with aggravated criminal contempt-violating an order of protection, a felony, and assault with intent to cause physical injury, a misdemeanor.
He was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge David Green and released.
Robbery at Price Chopper and Warrant
LATHAM – Colonie police arrested David Maloney, 39, of Troy for robbing the Price Chopper on Loudon Road and also found he had an outstanding warrant on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 10:21 a.m.
Maloney did not appear in court in April.
He was charged with robbery, a felony, petit larceny, a misdemeanor and harassment, a violation. He was also processed on the warrant.
He was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge David Green later that night.
Robbery at Macy’s
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to Macy’s at Colonie Center for the report of a robbery and arrested Laikram Ragubar, 25 of Schenectady on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 4:50 p.m.
Ragubar was charged with robbery and grand larceny, both felonies, and harassment- physical contact, a violation.
He was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge David Green.
Warrant
COLONIE – A homeless woman was interviewed by Colonie police while investigating a domestic dispute on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at midnight and found to be wanted.
Kodi Goodman-Austin, 32, was arrested for not showing up to court for an incident in October 2022 at the Golden Circle Inn.
She was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge David Green.
Domestic incident, two with warrants
LATHAM – Colonie police responded to the Towneplace Suites on Forts Ferry Road for a domestic dispute on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 12:37 a.m. and found two people wanted by other agencies.
Janell Horn, 35, of Dunlo, W. Virg., was wanted by Glenville police on a felony warrant and was turned over to them at the hotel.
Joel Tousley, 41, who is homeless, was wanted by the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office on a felony warrant and he was turned over to them at the hotel as well.
Warrants finally land alleged larcenist in jail
COLONIE – A woman wanted by at least four police departments for at least five separate arrests and charges, had bail set and sent to jail. This all might seem very confusing and vague, but that is because it is. We are doing our best to sort through this.
On November 8, Halasha Maeweather, 20, of Albany (on the most recent arrest), was sent back to the Rensselaer County jail in lieu of $1 bail set by Bethlehem Town Judge Ryan Donovan after he arraigned her on a charge of petit larceny, a misdemeanor. The charge stemmed from a June 12 incident at Price Chopper in Glenmont that involved the theft of $503 worth of merchandise from the store.
Under the 2019 State criminal justice reform, that charge would not be bail eligible. Matter of fact, if the charge was felony grand larceny for a theft over $1,000, it still would not be bail eligible. However, if a judge arraigns a suspect and releases them under conditions and the new charge is a felony, the judge can consider bail. We are not sure what charge or municipality was able to make her eligible for bail, but on November 2, Maeweather was arrested in Guilderland, processed there on charges and then transported to Bethlehem for the arrest warrant for the Price Chopper.
Donovan was contacted by police, but because Maeweather had other outstanding warrants, he vacated the warrant and had police issue an appearance ticket for November 8 and release her to North Greenbush police for its warrant.
North Greenbush must have sent Maeweather to the Rensselaer County jail, because on November 6 Colonie police picked her up at the jail for two outstanding warrants they had for her. Both of the warrants were for incidents that took place in September 2022.
It is also worth noting that Maeweather had two different addresses on those warrants, which were different from the addresses in North Greenbush and Bethlehem. According to media reports, Maeweather was also arrested in North Greenbush in September 2022 for larceny.
The two warrants in Colonie were for failing to appear in court, but the reports do not have the original charges. They must have been strong enough to hold her, because Colonie Judge Andrew Sommers arraigned her on both warrants and sent her back to Rensselaer County jail.
That is where she was on November 8, where Bethlehem traveled over to pick Maeweather up for court, arraign, set bail and return her to the jail.
Bethlehem police also made sure to send securing orders to both the Albany County and Rensselaer County jails for her.
That way, if she made bail in one municipality and was transferred to another, Maeweather would still be held.
Maeweather was with Myunique McQueen, 20, of Albany at the June 12 Price Chopper larceny. She was charged as well in the case.
Mcqueen, however, was involved in grand larceny thefts at Lowes in Glenmont, three separate grand larcenies and bail jumping in Colonie, grand larceny in North Greenbush, larceny in August 2022 at Price Chopper in Slingerlands and larcenies in Glenville. All of these arrests took place since August 2022.
There is a call for the State Legislature to revise the bail laws regarding prevalent larcenists. A bill has been introduced in the State Senate and Assembly, but that has not been considered yet.