Scammers Con Woman: A New Rochelle woman was allegedly swindled out of $20,000. According to the police report, the complainant received a letter in the mail Dec. 2 stating that she had won a sweepstakes for $3,950. The letter asked her to call the company’s representative, David Harris, at the number provided in the letter, she told police. The woman told police that for the next several days, she sent several money grams totaling $20,000 for processing fees to 11 Appa Road, Capetown, South Africa. She told police that she continues to receive phone calls with instructions to send more money for additional processing fees. She told police her daughter told her it was a scam and that she should notify the police. After contacting her bank, and MoneyGram, she received the amount of her most recent transaction for $1,700.
Homeless Man Returns Lost Wallet After Using Debit Card: A New Rochelle woman told police she left her wallet on the bus at about 8:20 p.m. Dec. 14. She realized her wallet was missing on Dec. 15, and that her debit card had been charged $2.97 and $5.95 at Twin Donut in New Rochelle and for $8.12 at Taco Bell in New Rochelle. At about 9:30 a.m. Dec. 15, a black male, who appeared to be homeless, arrived at her home with her wallet and its contents, including her debit card, she told police. The woman told police the man asked for a reward and she gave him $20. She told police that she did not want to press charges but wanted the incident documented.
Lotion Thief Hits CVS Twice: An unknown suspect stole lotions from a New Rochelle CVS, Nov. 14 and again on Dec. 12, according to a police report. The store manager gave police a copy of the surveillance video and said that around midnight Nov. 14, a black male in his 40’s, wearing a black and white baseball cap, blue jeans and a black and blue jacket, entered the store and placed four bottles of lotion in his jacket and left the store. The complainant told police he didn’t know the value of the items; however, the loss prevention department knows the identity of the suspect. On Dec. 12, the same suspect stole more lotion from the same CVS location. The store manager told police that around 11:15 p.m. Dec. 12, a person entered the store and allegedly stole four bottles of Vaseline lotion valued at $7.99 each. He described the suspect as a black male in his 40’s, wearing a black and white baseball cap, blue jeans and a black and blue jacket.
Thieves Steal Packages in French Ridge: New Rochelle Police responded to a report of stolen packages at approximately 4 p.m. Dec. 10 from a home in French Ridge. According to the report, the packages were stolen from the front porch of the home. The homeowner gave police a copy of surveillance video which showed two dark-skinned, black males wearing dark clothes waiting on the street in front of her home while a third light-skinned, black male ran up to her front door and allegedly took the packages. The complainant told police that she did not remember what was inside of the packages but she estimated the value to be about $300.
Thief Breaks into Former Apartment: New Rochelle Police responded to a home invasion Dec. 10 at an apartment at 177 Union Avenue. The complainant told police when he returned home from work that day, he noticed someone had allegedly tampered with the door frame and door knob to his bedroom. He told police that after further investigation, the front door frame was also damaged and appeared as though someone tried to pry it open. He told police that toothpaste was also spread over the damaged area of the door, which he said he believes was done to conceal the damage. He told police that video surveillance from a camera he had placed on the top of the door showed his former roommate trying to force his way into the apartment at 11:17 a.m. Dec. 10. The police report noted that the date and the time on the video footage was consistent with the complainant’s account. The complainant told police that he made his former roommate leave after discovering he was an alleged habitual drug user. He told police that his former roommate became angry and repeatedly threatened his life. No items were missing from the apartment and the complainant did not wish to pursue charges, the police report stated.
Woman Loses Wallet, Debit Card Used: New Rochelle Police are looking for a suspect or suspect who allegedly used an Iona College student’s debit card Dec. 10 after allegedly stealing her wallet. The victim told police she left her wallet, which contained her debit card and student ID card, on a table in room 201 in Ryan Library at approximately 7 p.m. Dec. 9. When she left the lab after about an hour later, she realized that her wallet was missing and returned to the library to retrieve it but did not find her wallet, she told police. After cancelling her debit card and student ID, she received information from the bank that a transaction was made at 8:56 p.m. Dec. 9 for $18.75 at McDonald’s on North Avenue and another at 4:37 p.m. Dec. 10 for $5.98 at Deli Mart, 671 North Ave., she told police. The woman told police she cancelled her debit card and student ID. It is unknown if the businesses have surveillance cameras, the police report states.
Woman’s Identity Stolen, Thieves Charge Items: A New Rochelle woman told police she received two credit cards in the mail Nov. 27 but had not applied for the cards. She told police someone allegedly used her name to open the credit card accounts and used the cards to make online purchases at Target and Old Navy. The credit card statements revealed a $300 purchase at Target and a $193.52 charge at Old Navy, the police report stated. The woman told police she has placed a hold on the cards and opened a claim with the stores’ Fraud Departments.
Thieves Steal Money From Laundry ATM: Thieves allegedly stole money from an ATM located inside a laundry room Dec. 16 at 2201 Palmer Ave. The building superintendent told police he did not notice suspicious activity when he left the laundry room Dec. 15. However, when he returned to the location around 7:30 a.m. Dec. 16, he noticed the ATM was damaged, he told police. He noted an unknown amount of money was missing from the ATM when he returned to the facility about 5 p.m., he told police. Police have no suspects and there are no surveillance cameras at the business.
Burglars Rob Laundry Facility: New Rochelle Police responded to a report of three burglaries Dec. 14 at three buildings at Shad Glen Court complex. The burglaries occurred at 20 Shady Glen Court, 25 Shady Glen Court and 35 Shady Glen Court. The complex superintendent, who was notified of the burglaries by a tenant, showed police the broken lock on the front door of the location. In their report, police said they believe, once inside of the building, the suspect entered the laundry room, located at the lower level, and broke in to the ESD Money Card System and removed the Cash Acceptor, which holds increments of $5, $10 and $20 bills. Police said money added to the ESD Money Card System is applied to the balance of individual pay cards and is used to operate the washing machines. Police also recovered an empty Coin Co Cash Acceptor from a garbage can near the laundry room, the report said. A neighbor told police she heard loud noises around 4 a.m. Dec. 14 but did not investigate the cause of the noise. No surveillance cameras are located in the area.
Vandals Deface Mailbox: New Rochelle Police responded to a report of vandalism Dec. 13. The complainant told police she witnessed two young males painting graffiti on a mailbox located at the corner between Leland Avenue and Willow Drive. When she asked the alleged vandals what they were doing, they fled on bicycles, she told police. Officers saw the word “risk” written on both sides of the mailbox, the report stated.
Thieves Steal Packages: New Rochelle Police responded to a report of missing packages Dec. 15. The complainant said three packages containing a puzzle, a book and clothing, were delivered to her home Dec. 14. At approximately 9:30 a.m. Dec. 15, the complainant’s neighbor told her she had found empty boxes across the street from her home, the complainant told police. The packages, which were addressed to the complainant, were empty, she told police. The complainant tracked the packages through USPS and Federal Express, who told her the packages were delivered at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 14, the police report states.
Thieves Steal Vehicle from Remington Place: A car was allegedly stolen from Remington Place Dec. 16. According to the complainant, he parked his car in a legal parking space on Remington Place by Webster Avenue at 2:45 p.m. Dec. 15. When he returned to his vehicle at 6:30 a.m. Dec. 16, his car was missing, he told police. No surveillance cameras are located in the area.
Woman Loses Gold Earrings After Mattress Delivered: A woman told New Rochelle Police that her gold earrings were allegedly missing after two employees delivered a mattress to her home at about 3 p.m. Dec. 11. She told police that two Hispanic males from Bob’s Furniture store delivered the mattress and placed it in her bedroom. A pair of 14-karat gold earring where on her night stand when the mattress was delivered, she told police. On Dec. 13, she realized the earrings were missing, she told police. No one was in her home before or after the delivery, she told police.
Thieves Steal Motorcycle from Webster Avenue: New Rochelle Police responded to a report of a missing motorcycle Dec. 13 from Webster Avenue. The owner told police he had parked his 2011, white, BMW motorcycle at 5 p.m. Dec. 6 on Webster Avenue; locked the wheels and took the key. When he returned, his motorcycle, with license plate NJ REG-2vxf7, was missing, he told police. Police have no witnesses or suspects, and no surveillance cameras are located in the area.
Thieves Steal Dirt Bike: New Rochelle Police responded to an alleged burglary Dec. 13 at 4 Leviness Place. The complainant told police that at about 1:45 p.m., he noticed the lock to his garage door was damaged and his dirt bike was missing. He told police that he last saw his bike and the undamaged garage door at 6 p.m. Dec. 11. The bike was not insured or registered, according to the police report. Surveillance video cameras adjacent to the location may have captured the incident, police said, however, there are no witnesses or suspects.
Woman Allegedly Loses Cell Phone: A New Rochelle woman reported her cell phone missing Dec. 13 from CVS Pharmacy, 16 Weyman Ave. The woman told police that she allegedly left her phone on the store’s counter while paying for some items and then noticed it was missing when she left the store. According to the police report, store surveillance video captured the woman placing her jacket down on a display and then in to a shopping cart. The report states the complainant then left with her belongings to shop. While in the store, the complainant took her book bag off and retrieved what appeared to be a white envelope, the report states. The woman is then seen approaching the register, placing the items at the register and paying for them, the report said. The store manager, who watched the surveillance video, told police that he did not see a cell phone in the complainant’s hands nor did he see her place a cell phone on the counter. The video also shows that no one approached the complainant’s belongings while she was shopping, the police report said. The report notes that a small section of the counter is obstructed by the register’s screen.
New Rochelle Man Arrested for DWI: A New Rochelle man was arrested for DWI Dec. 13. Justin Brown-Cortijo, 28, was charged with DWI and designated offense within 10 years.
Submitted by Christine Morgan Arceneaux and Salahuddin Ahmed