LI Man Facing Possible Hate Crimes During Brutal, Violent Spree in New Rochelle

Charges include Unlawful Imprisonment, Assault, Stabbing, Strong Armed Robbery, Home Invasion, Unlawful Imprisonment, Endangering the Welfare of a Child

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (March 17, 2023) — Appearing before a New Rochelle City Court judge in highly unusual circumstances, Michael Bagley, 32, of Coram, NY was charged today with a host of crimes committed yesterday.

According to New Rochelle Police, a store owner was beaten, stabbed and robbed. in her store at 683 Main Street, at about 3:30 pm Thursday. The suspect fled the store, robbed a person walking on Woodland Avenue, fled, then broke into the house on Laurel Place. The homeowner, at home with her 6-year old child, was able to keep Bagley calm while covertly messaging a neighbor to call the police, leading to his capture.

The store owner is an Asian-America woman. At Bagley’s arraignment, the DA said that they were investigating possible hate crime charges with the New Rochelle Police.

The Felony Complaint, seen by Talk of the Sound includes a police narrative which is a disturbing account of Bagley’s actions:

The defendants at the above date, time and place, did forcibly steal property from victim # 1 and in the course of the commission of the robbery, defendant did threaten and use a knife, a dangerous instrument. Specifically, defendant entered 683 Main Street and engaged in an argument with victim #1, an employee of the store, over the cost of a belt which ultimately turned physical when defendant refused to give the employee the appropriate money for the belt. After refusing to give the belt back to victim #1, defendant pulled out a knife, hit victim #1, and dragged her to a room in the back of the store where he threw her onto a chair and demanded she open the register and give him möney.

Defendant then stabbed victim #1 in the arm with the knife and dragged her into a second back room in the above location. Defendant then locked the door and unlawfully restrained victim #1 in the room, resulting in substantial interference with her liberty by confining her in that room. In order to escape, the victim then kicked the door and broke it to get out of the room. After victim #1 freed herself from the room, defendant picked up the door and hit victim #1 it the head with the door. Defendant then took money from the store and victim #1’s iPhone and iPad and left the Store: As a result of defendant’s aforementioned conduct, victim #1 suffered physical injuries including a concussion, broken ribs, fractures to her back, and multiple lacerations which required emergency medical treatment. Defendant had no permission, consent or authority from victim #1 to take any of the above mentioned property (Counts One, Two, and Five).

After leaving the store, defendant proceeded to the vicinity of Woodland Avenue and Elm Street, still in the City of New Rochelle, where the wife of victim #2 attempted to give defendant back a dollar that defendant had dropped on the street as he ran past victim #2 and his wife. Defendant turned around and yelled at victim #2 and his wife “give me my money, you have all my money!” before grabbing victim #2 by his jacket, shaking him forcibly. Defendant then forcibly took an envelope which contained $1,800 in cash, from victim #2’s person, and ran away.

Defendant had no permission, consent or authority from victim #2 to take any of the above mentioned property (Count Four).

Additionally, defendant did also knowingly enter and remain unlawfully in 22 Laurel Place, a dwelling, with the intent to commit a crime therein. Specifically, after engaging in the aforementioned conduct with victim #1 and victim #2, defendant did break into a dwelling belonging to victim #3. Specifically, defendant did break into (redacted) Laurel Place, a residential home, by pushing in the rear door, and telling victim #3, amongst other things, that he was hiding from police because he got into an argument with his girlfriend, and that his name was “Anthony Jones.” Defendant refused to leave victim #3’s home after she repeatedly asked him to leave and told him that her child was in the home, thereby unlawfully restraining victim #3 by preventing her from leaving the home thus resulting in substantial interference with her liberty by confining her to the home (Counts Three and Six). In doing the above while at (redacted) Laurel Place, defendant did knowingly act in a manner likely to be injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of victim #4 (with a year of birth of 2017), a child less than seventeen years old (Count Seven).

MORE FROM THURSDAY: Long Island Man Holds New Rochelle Family Hostage in Their Home After Crime Spree, Stabbing, Police Say

Tony Aiello of WCBS has an excellent report including helicopter video, CCTV video, an interview with NRPD Police Commissioner Robert Gazzola, a Residence Park resident and Lisa Chen, the store owner, from her hospital bed.

Post-Arrest and Court Proceedings

Since his arrest on Thursday, Bagley has been an uncooperative prisoner, according to law enforcement officials. He twice claimed that he was not feeling well and was twice transported to Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital. After the paperwork on his case was finalized shortly after noon, told he would soon appear before a judge, Bagley again said he was not feeling well and sought to be transported to the hospital a third time. That request was denied as court officials attempted to proceed with his arraignment.

After Bagley refused to be produced in New Rochelle City Court, the court proposed to arraign Bagley virtually from a holding cell in New Rochelle Police headquarters. After Bagley refused to consent to a virtual appearance, he was arraigned in his cell.

Judge Matthew J. Costa, joined by an ADA from the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and a Legal Aid attorney representing Bagley, used the prisoner elevator to descend from the courthouse on the second floor of 475 North Avenue to the holding area inside the New Rochelle Police station.

Bagley appeared surprised upon the appearance of Costa, the two lawyers, and a court officer outside his cell. The arraignment proceeded, broadcast on a monitor in the courtroom as a court clerk, stenographer, court officer and one reporter watched.

Bagley’s attorney waived a reading of the charges:

• 1 x Robbery – 1, a B Felony
• 1 x Assault – 2, D Felony
• 1 x Burglary – 2, a C Felony
• 1 x Robbery – 3, a D Felony
• 2 x Unlawful Imprisonment – 1, an E Felony
• Endangering the Welfare of a Child, an A Misdemeanor
  

The ADA added that New Rochelle Police and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office was investigating the defendant for possible hate crime charges provoking an outburst by Bagley.

“Why would they be hate crimes?” shouted Bagley. “You don’t have any evidence of a hate crime, no paperwork.”

Judge Costa stated the the New Rochelle City Court did not have jurisdiction over the case (because of the high-level felony charges) and that the case would be transferred to Westchester County Criminal Court. Bagley was given a TOP for the three victims described in the charging documents which he refused to sign. Bagley was remanded to Westchester County Jail.

Bagley has two prior felony convictions.

According to prison records, Michael Bagley was previously incarcerated in Suffolk County on February 7, 2014. He was paroled on June 6, 2018.

Following his arrest in New Rochelle on March 16, 2023 he was remanded to the Westchester County Jail. He was taken into custody by the Westchester County Department of Correction on March 17, 2023 at 3:59 pm.

Police narrative: On March 16th, 2023, at about 3:43pm, New Rochelle Police received a call that a woman was stabbed and beaten and was now inside a store at Main Street and Webster Avenue. While responding there, New Rochelle Police received another call of a strong-arm robbery a short distance away on Woodland Avenue just off Main Street. Responding police observed the suspect fleeing the area and a foot chase through back yards occurred throughout the Residence Park Neighborhood on the Southside of New Rochelle. Detectives canvassing found the suspect inside a home on Laurel Place. The suspected attempted to flee and was Tasered and placed under arrest without further use of force.

The investigation revealed that the suspect is alleged to have robbed a convenience store at 683 Main Street, severely assaulting the worker there and then ran off and committed a strong-arm robbery a block away, robbing a pedestrian of cash. While attempting to evade police, the suspect broke into a home on Laurel Place that was occupied by a woman and her two young children. The woman was able to keep him calm while covertly messaging a neighbor to call the police, leading to his capture.

The initial victim from 683 Main Street was transported to a local hospital where she was listed as in serious, but stable condition.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Based on court records and information from the arraignment, we have a few updates and corrections to the original report based on information from an NRPD Press Statement.

• Michael Bagley is from Coram, NY in Suffolk County, not Corham, NY
• There was one child at the house on Laurel Place (child born 2017) not two.
• A charge of Criminal Mischief – 3 (an E Felony) was dropped from the Complaint
• A charge of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (an A Misdemeanor) was added to the complaint.
• Possible hate crimes are being investigated by the New Rochelle Police Department and Westchester County District Attorney’s Office