TALK OF THE SOUND EXCLUSIVE — The mysterious case of Mount Vernon fireman James Drago has taken on a bizarre new twist as the only witness in the case has now been arrested for burglarizing the home of a Rockland County man who died Friday following a motorcycle accident.
The woman involved in both cases, Paula Izurieta,29, of 17 Smart St., Yonkers, was never named by the police as a witness in the Drago case. It was members of the Mount Vernon Fire Department who recognized Izurieta from her mugshot in today’s Journal News and contacted Talk of the Sound’s EyeonNewRoc.
It was on June 26th that Izurieta called 911 to report Drago missing in Long island Sound, setting of a search and rescue effort by local police and the Coast Guard. A week later, on July 4th, Drago’s body was found floating in the water within a mile of where he was first reported missing, near the Larchmont Shore Club.
At the time, Izurieta, the only witness on the boat, told Larchmont Police that Drago took his boat from the New Rochelle Marina, left the boat to go swimming, went under the water and never resurfaced. No charges have been filed in the case so far.
After Drago was reported missing, there were unconfirmed reports that Drago’s house was ransacked.
The Journal News is reporting today that the same woman on the boat, Paula Izurieta, was caught while burglarizing the home of Richard Serpico, a 33 year-old Congers resident who was killed in a motorcycle crash on Friday night. Police in Rockland County have yet to determine the cause of the accident.
Izurieta has been arrested and charged with numerous felonies, including two counts of second degree burglary, one count of third degree grand larceny and one count of fourth degree grand larceny. According to police they were taking everything out of the victims house including towels and even his bathing suits.
This girl is trash. I hope
This girl is trash. I hope she gets what she deserves. How do you burglarize a mans home (EVER) after he passes away tragically. Nevermind that his family hasn’t even put him in the grave yet. As his family and friends grieve these two POS are ransacking the house. It’s disgusting to think that people like this actually exist.
Not to mention that the firefighter that passed might have been burglarized as well.
I hope these two never see the light of day!