Yet Another New Rochelle Schools Employee Arrested, Vicious Assault Leaves Man and Woman Seriously Injured, Second Man Found Unconscious with Fractured Skull

Willie R. Clark, 44, of 16 Locust Avenue in New Rochelle, NY was arrested last October and later plead guilty to 3 charges of Assault in the 3rd Degree after he and another man brutally assault three people. All three victims were taken to Sound Shore Medical Center with serious injuries including one victim with a fractured skull.

The incident occurred on October 2, 2011. Clark and a second unidentified man, both black, got into an altercation with three white college-age patrons at Spectators Sports Pub & Restaurant located at 219 North Avenue in downtown New Rochelle, NY. As a result of the altercation, the five people involved were expelled from Spectators. Clark and the second man came upon the same three people a few blocks away, near the corner of North Avenue and Main Street, and charged at them with fists flying according to New Rochelle Police.

After his arrest, Clark blamed his arrest on his race, telling police “we let these white kids get drunk and do ‘whatever the fuck they want” and that “white is right”.

Clark was sentenced on July 12, 2012 to 3 years probation.

“We asked for jail time,” said Lucian Chalfen, spokesperson for Westchester County District Attorney Janet DeFiore. “It does not appear that we knew his employment status.” Clark did not identify himself as a New Rochelle schools employee at the time of his arrest.

The report filed by the responding officer follows, below.

Talk of the Sound learned of the arrest several weeks ago in relation to an investigation of James Vincent Bonanno subsequent to a lawsuit filed by Bonanno and his son against Robert Cox, Managing Editor of Talk of the Sound and Hudson-Westchester Radio, owners of WVOX 1460 AM. Sources tell Talk of the Sound that Bonanno was aware of Clark’s arrest, allowed Clark to leave work to attend to the criminal case against him and failed to report the arrest to his superiors.

New Rochelle Board of Education President Chrisanne Petrone confirmed that the board was not informed of Clark’s arrest at the time nor his subsequent conviction and sentencing. She said the board had no reason to believe that Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak withheld that information from the board.

Talk of the Sound has confirmed that Clark has continued to work under Bonanno at 51 Cliff Street since the arrest up until today.

Clark was one of the district employees sent by Bonanno to Orange County to work on the home of Heidi Reyes, Bonanno’s girlfriend on school district time. Bonanno’s lawsuit claims that he did not direct his employees to work on his girlfriend’s house and that it was not true that Bonanno employs people with criminal records.

The official police report (below) is so well-written it stands on its own.

Detective’s Supplemental Narrative Report filed by P.O. Robert Wenzler (partially redacted by NRPD)

At approximately 0220 hrs., I was traveling east bound on Main Street. I approached the intersection of North Av. and saw several people in the roadway. I further observed what appeared to be a male white, lying in the street, not moving. There were several people attending to said male. The people in the street appeared excited and frantic. A female screamed to me as I pulled up. She pointed south on North Av. and yelled that for me to stop the two persons walking away from this scene. I observed two male blacks headed south on North Av., one wearing a red Jacket and the other wearing a black sweater.

I notified HQ and advised that an ambulance needed to be dispatched to the incident location for a man down. Based on my observations, it appeared that a crime had been committed, however it was still unknown exactly what had transpired. Being that two persons of interest were leaving the area, I directed my attention to them, and advised that I would be stopping two possible suspects.

I pulled into the driveway of the Metro Med parking lot and cut their path off. The two men appeared stunned to see me I advised both to stop. The male in the red jacket did stop, but the male in the black sweater kept walking, and passed me. I directed the one with the red jacket to place his hands on RC3 and remain there. He did comply, so I turned my attention to the one in the black who continued walking away, I yelled for him to stop again. He turned and said to me, ” I ain’t got nothing to do with nothing” and kept walking. He was a stocky male black, about 5’9″, with black jeans and a black sweater. He appeared to have some facial hair, As this was happening, I noticed that the other male was now beginning to move as well. Being that I was the only officer present at this time, I focused on the one with the red Jacket, who was still near my position.

The male in the red jacket then began to run south, into the lot. I had drawn my taser and advised he would be hit. I gave chase repeating commands for him to stop. He did do so after running about 60 feet. He laid to the ground and was handcuffed. Several other units had arrived on the scene at this point. PO Ladeairous aided me with the suspect, and PO Dassler, Lt, Coyne and others had arrived at the incident location,

It was announced that this incident was an assault. In addition to the man down, identified as ———- there was two other victims discovered, ———-, and ———- . There were witnesses as well. Det. Herring interviewed a witness to the crime, and had said witness, identified as ———- ———-, conduct a show up of the man I had in custody. I ; ———- positively identified this man, known as Willie Clark, as one of the two responsible. PO Dassler brought one of the other victims, ‘ , ———- to do a show up as well, and he too positively identified him as an attacker in this incident.

Clark was read his notice of constitutional rights and was placed in RC3 and transported to HQ. It had been observed that as he was being handcuffed, Clark was bleeding on his right hand, by his knuckles, He would state that he bloodied his hand by breaking a beer bottle. He did not state he used a bottle to hit anyone. He would also state that he did not hit anyone, that he was at the store and saw people fighting, and helped to break it up. He would later state at HQ that we let these white kids get drunk and do “whatever the fuck they want” and that “white is right”, blaming his arrest due to his race.

———-, who had been unconscious in the roadway, was taken to SSMCER by ambulance 1 of apparent head injuries. He went in and out of consciousness while at the ER. He was seen by Dr. Abrahams who advised that he suffered from a fractured skull at its base in the back of the head. There was also a laceration in that area, as well and cuts and swelling to areas around his mouth, ———-, would state he could not remember what had happened to staff. Dr. Abrahams advised that there was no bleeding in the brain, and that a neurologist would be
responding to further analyze his injury. It was advised , would be admitted for observation.

The second victim, ———-, had obvious injuries to his face. He was cut in several areas, and there was swelling around his nose. He advised he was in great pain, and believed that his nose was broken, He too would be taken to SSMCER by police to be evaluated. It was discovered that he did suffer a broken nose in this incident.

The third victim, ———-, complained of pain to the left side of her face, stating it was a result of being punched during the altercation. She also complained of severe pain to her left foot, and leg, where she sustained a laceration near her knee and a contusion to the foot. This resulting during a fall to the ground right after being hit. She would state that as she tried to help get her boyfriend, ———-, away from the suspects, Clark did strike her in the face, claiming he told her right before he threw the punch, to, “get the fuck away”. She too was evaluated at the ER. The latter two victims were later released.

———- and ———- would give written statements regarding the incident, which are attached Photos were taken of victims Injuries and suspects hand. The other male black with the black sweater was indeed involved and labeled the other suspect in this incident. Clark who was uncooperative with the investigation, would not state his associates name. He was not found.

Clark was booked by Sgt. Navarrete for three counts of assault third degree at this time. He was processed by CSO Lopez and later released on $500.00 bail. He is due in city court on Monday 3 October 2011. His jacket and hat that he was wearing was confiscated and placed into evidence. A box cutter in his possession, not used, was also confiscated. PR-01292·11 was assigned.

The incident appeared to begin inside Spectators Sports Bar at 219 North Av. where ———- accidentally bumped into Clark. Words were then exchanged, followed by punches thrown. Both were apparently escorted out where another altercation outside occurred, this time involving the other male black with the black sweater. After that was broken up. ———- along with ———- and a few other friends, walked south on North Av. towards their apartment, when Clark and his associate caught up with them again. According to the victims and witnesses, Clark and the other suspect charged at them and began to throw punches. knocking ———- to the ground, and repeatedly punched ———- before stopping and leaving south on North Av.

Willie Clark is the seventh school district employee arrested since 2009.

Jose Martinez was arrested in 2011 on charges related to repeatedly raping a student at Isaac E. Young Middle School. Dianna Wessel was arrested in 2010 after refusing to take a breathalyzer and drug test after crashing her vehicle into three parked vehicles and then flipping her own vehicle. Vito Costa was arrested in 2009 in charges related to working a no-show job in the Buildings & Grounds department. Patrick Clark was arrested on charges related to soliciting a minor for sex over the Internet in a sting by the DA. In 2012, Nancy Moreno, a Teaching Assistant at Isaac E. Young Middle School was arrested for assault with a weapon.

Not arrested but reported by Talk of the Sound are cases involving Anthony Newman (Glazier, Buildings & Grounds Department) sexually assaulted a district employee in City Hall. Donna Henry (Security Guard) transmitted a nude image of a 14-year old girl to two other district employees (her son and her daughter-in-law). Suspended for 30 days with pay, hearing, given a pay increase and relocated to New Rochelle High School.

Several other school employees were referred by the New Rochelle Board of Education to the Westchester County District Attorney Sex Crimes unit. Leroy Manuel (Security Guard) engaged in a sexual relationship with a student, as a result of which she became pregnant, moved to Florida and had the baby, sources say. Robert McLean (Security Guard) engaged in sex with students. Kyle Figueroa (Security Guard) engaged in sex with students. After the Jose Martinez arrest, Figueroa was caught on camera receiving oral sex from a student in area of Room 105/106. Walter Hubbard (Janitor) was terminated after being caught multiple times viewing pornography on school district computers. Also, engaged in sex with students.

Jerome Planter (Security Guard) and Geeta Singh (Security Guard) submitted falsified residency records to New Rochelle Civil Service Commission to obtain a position with New Rochelle residency requirement.

Frank DeMasi (Carpenter/Buildings & Grounds) misappropriated school equipment, converting school van and tools for personal use. Kareem Ali (Finance/Special Education) sexually harassed a senior official in the finance department; prohibited from having direct contact with the woman and not allowed to walk past a certain point in the hallway on the second floor. Ali resurfaced again when the New Rochelle Public Library discovered $300,000 unaccounted for in 2011. He has since been reassigned to Special Education department. Danielle Carter (Security Guard ) caught stealing at ShopRite grocery store on Palmer Avenue while wearing her City School District of New Rochelle security uniform. Rasool Hassan Williams (Buildings & Grounds) murdered a man in Ohio. Williams was a repeat offender for many years, drug use, drug possession. Arrested while employed by the district. Arrested for murder in Ohio three weeks after leaving employment of New Rochelle school district, convicted, sentenced to life in prison. Len Ricci (Buildings & Grounds) hired despite felony drug arrest. Phil Carino (Janitor) hung stuffed monkey on a noose, district settled lawsuit for racist behavior. Freddie Smith (Assistant Superintendent of Schools) numerous allegations of plagiarism, Doctorate revoked by University of Virginia, Fired at his next two jobs as these issues became known. Martin Freiman (Janitor): Suspended for making racist statements to children and staff at Jefferson Elementary School, long history of similar incidents. Jimmy Bonanno, Sr. (Buildings & Grounds) misappropriated school equipment and staff; directed school district employees to perform work on his girlfriend’s house in Orange County. Jimmy Bonanno, Jr. making personal use of school district vehicle to go to a methadone clinic. Bonanno is a heroin addict and participates in the Westchester County Methadone program.