A Kingston man is facing misdemeanor charges after, city police say, he allegedly provided alcohol to minor, then assaulted the teen’s mother when she confronted him about it.

Christian Soto, 26, of West Pierpont Street was arrested on Tuesday, May 14 at 12:19 a.m. According to police, the arrest occurred after Soto allegedly provided alcohol to a 17-year-old who subsequently became so incapacitated that they required treatment at an area hospital. When the teen’s mother confronted Soto, cops say, he punched her. Another woman who tried to intervene in the melee was also punched in the face by Soto, cops said. Police say that Soto also fought with police officers as they placed him under arrest.

Soto is charged with misdemeanor counts of second-degree reckless endangerment and resisting arrest. He also faces two counts of harassment, a violation.

State Police yesterday arrested Tyrell Wood, 23, of Poughkeepsie, following a traffic stop in which police say a search found 170 bags of heroin containing approximately 5.1 grams of the drug.

Wood was arrested on the following charges:

• Criminal possession of a controlled substance, third degree, a class B felony
• Criminal possession of a controlled substance, fourth degree, a class C felony

Wood was processed and arraigned in the Town of Loyd. He was remanded to the Ulster County Jail on $25,000 cash bail, or $50,000 bond.

This was a coordinated effort between the New York State Police and the Town of Lloyd Police Department.

Yesterday evening at approximately 7:15 p.m., officers of the Kingston Police Department responded to the area of Newkirk Ave. for reported shots fired.

Witnesses reported a male traveling north on Newkirk Ave. on foot was firing a handgun at a vehicle that was also northbound on Newkirk Ave. Both the vehicle and the male were last seen heading towards Delaware Ave. The vehicle is believed to have turned westbound on Delaware Ave.

There were no indications, nor any reports, of anyone being struck.

An overhead view of the crash site

Tyler Kuhn

A Saugerties man pleaded guilty to the felony of vehicular assault and the misdemeanor of driving while intoxicated in Ulster County Court last week. John Tyler Kuhn, 35, admitted to being drunk while driving and striking a tree alongside Route 32 on Jan. 6, which launched two passengers out of the backseat of his Mercedes-Benz convertible and trapped a third in the vehicle’s crushed passenger bay after it rolled over several times. Two of the passengers, 23-year-old Brittany Ruskie of Saugerties and 24-year-old Keishawn Blanch of Kingston, were airlifted to Albany Medical Center for what authorities called “catastrophic,” life-threatening injuries; Kuhn, other than facial lacerations, was unscathed.

A police investigation, carried out by the Saugerties Police Department, state police and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, determined that Kuhn ignored a double yellow line, attempted to pass another vehicle at a high rate of speed and lost control of his vehicle when he swerved to avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming vehicle. He admitted during plea proceedings on May 17 that he had been drinking alcohol to the point of intoxication before the crash. 

Kuhn’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 19 in Ulster County Court before Judge Donald A. Williams.

The twisted remains of the Mercedes

Abram Almahri, 19, of Millbrook Terrace in New Paltz, was charged this week by an Ulster County grand jury with four counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and one count of assault in the second degree.

The charges stem from a two-vehicle collision on Henry W. DuBois Drive, which occurred on March 29. An investigation by the New York State Police revealed that Almahri was operating a 2008 Volvo when he failed to stop at a stop sign and collided into the rear of a 2012 Toyota Scion operated by Charlie Rodriguez. Rodriguez was severely injured as a result of the collision.

Two passengers in Almahri’s vehicle, Walter Morales-Duarte and Jacob Davis, both of New Paltz, also suffered serious injuries. A third passenger, Jade Randazzo, 25, of New Paltz, was killed in the crash. Almahri’s blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit at the time of the collision.

This indictment reflects the grand jury’s finding that Almahri engaged in reckless driving while having a blood alcohol content of .18 or higher, which resulted in the death of Jade Randazzo. The Grand Jury further found that Almahri’s reckless driving while intoxicated caused three other people to sustain serious physical injuries.

Aggravated vehicular homicide is a class B non-violent felony which carries a maximum sentence of up to 25 years in state prison.

Related:

Woman hurt in New Paltz hit-and-run

On Saturday, May 25 at approximately 7:45 p.m., Saugerties Police responded to a residence on Route 9W for a report of a dispute between neighbors involving the threat of knife. The dispute resulted from one neighbor complaining to the other that their music was being played too loud. During their argument, Vincent A. Sasso, 35, reportedly stated that he was “going to gut ” the complainants, and then brandished a knife to the two men he was arguing with.

Sasso was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree menacing. Sasso was transported to Saugerties Police Headquarters where he was processed and then arraigned in the Town of Saugerties Justice Court. Incidental to arraignment, Sasso was released on his own recognizance with two orders of protection in place, one for each victim. Sasso is scheduled to reappear in the Town of Saugerties Justice Court on May 29 to answer his charges.

Related:

Saugerties residents blast board over proposed noise ordinance

A Saugerties man is facing misdemeanor assault charges after, town police said, he attacked a woman after she told him she was pregnant.

At about 8:46 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28, town police said officers responded to EmUrgent Care on Route 9W. A woman told detectives, police said, that when she told 22-year-old Elijah J. Lyons that she was pregnant, she and Lyons began to argue. Things escalated, with the victim telling officers that Lyons pulled her around by her hair and hit her in the face, causing injury, bruising and swelling to her eye.

The victim, police said, was transported by Diaz ambulance to the HealthAlliance Hospital’s Broadway Campus for additional care. Officers took Lyons into custody without incident.

He now faces charges of misdemeanor third-degree assault and violation second-degree harassment. Following arraignment, Lyons was released pending a future court appearance. The court issued an order of protection on the victim’s behalf.

Police said that after news of the arrest was published in local media, another woman came forward to report an assault by Lyons. The victim told police that on May 20, she had gone to Lyons’ residence on Leonard Lane to visit him. The victim reported that shortly after arriving, the two began to argue, and that during the argument, Lyons threw a bucket as her, causing soft tissue damage to her leg, and then chased the victim while swinging a fire extinguisher, threatening to hit and eventually causing injury to the victim’s arm.

Police said the incident was video recorded by another person present but not involved in the incident.

Lyons was located and arrested for the second day in a row, once again for third-degree assault.

A meeting between father and son at the Plaza Diner in New Paltz this morning turned into a long-distance murder-suicide.

There Jeremy Kaartine, 22, shot his 58-year-old father Andrew before fleeing the scene and returning to Saugerties, where he lived. If he was indeed headed home, though, he never made it: police pursuit ended in a crash, and Kaartine was found dead by his own gun in the car. Though tragic, police consider it an isolated incident. Many details surrounding the case are still unknown, and an investigation is ongoing.

The father and son were believed to be estranged for several years, according to New Paltz Chief of Police Joseph Snyder, but little is yet known about their relationship. It seems plans had been made for them to meet at the New Paltz diner, where they both parked in the back. The location is about halfway between Saugerties — home of the son — and Salisbury Mills, where the father lived. The shooting took place with both outside their vehicles, and Snyder said that it was “apparently a very quick incident,” with the younger Kaartine leaving in his red Camaro after shooting his father with a handgun which Jeremy legally owned. One or more people called 911, and Snyder commended members of the public for that quick action, as well as remaining on the scene to be interviewed. The first responding officers administered CPR to the elder Kaartine, who was unresponsive when they arrived; he was pronounced dead upon arrival at an area hospital.

Carlos Linares, who lives in an apartment neighboring the Plaza Diner, was loading his car in the driveway when he heard four to five shots being fired from the diner parking lot. “I lived through the civil war in El Salvador for ten years, so I know what gunshots sound like,” said the 30-year New Paltz resident, “then I heard a car speed away. I could also see what appeared to be a white male on the ground. The EMTs were trying to do CPR on him.”

Linares said that it was sadly ironic because just the day before he and his son had been talking about how “safe it is to live in New Paltz. Then I hear these shots. It was very weird.”

An Ulster County sheriff’s deputy spotted a red Camaro going very fast on the Thruway, and attempted to pull the car over once Kaartine got off at exit 20 and headed north on Route 32. Saugerties police assisted the deputy, and the chase ended in a crash. Jeremy Kaartine was already dead by gunshot when officers reached him, but it’s not clear whether he shot himself before or after he crashed.

No recent domestic or other incidents have come up for either man, Snyder said, but a more thorough investigation is already underway. Both when had Facebook accounts, but Andrew hadn’t made a public post this year, and his son Jeremy hadn’t since 2013, when his posts focused largely on affirmations and boxing.

A hastily-convened press conference at New Paltz police headquarters Saturday included representatives of several involved agencies: Captain Mike Drake of the state police, chief assistant district attorney Mike Kavanagh, Saugerties police chief Joe Sinagra, and Ulster County sheriff Juan Figueroa. SUNY New Paltz police officers also assisted.

Erin Quinn contributed to this report.

On Monday, June 3 the New York State Police from the Poughkeepsie barracks and the Dutchess County Child Advocacy Center arrested Sean M. Elmendorf, 27, of Poughkeepsie, for Possession of a Sexual Performance by a Child, a class E felony.

Investigation by the Troop K Computer Crimes Unit and Poughkeepsie Bureau of Criminal Investigation led to the issuance of a search warrant by the Dutchess County Court.  Police said the execution of the warrant discovered child pornography in the possession of Sean Elmendorf, and illegally possessed firearms arms by Ibn L. Lane, age 47, and Marlene L. Elmendorf, age 64, both of Poughkeepsie.  Lane and Marlene Elmendorf were arrested for Criminal Possession of a Firearm, a class E felony.

Sean Elmendorf was arraigned before the City of Poughkeepsie Court, and remanded to the Dutchess County Jail in lieu of $7,500 cash bail or $15,000 secure bond.  Ibn Lane and Marlene Elmendorf were both issued appearance tickets.  All subjects are next scheduled to appear before the Court on June 10 at 9 a.m.

Wednesday, June 5 at 1:30 in the afternoon, Saugerties Police responded to a 911 call reporting a dispute between an Ulster County Highway Department work crew conducting paving in Old Kings Highway, and a motorist who reportedly brandished a handgun during the dispute.

It was reported that a verbal dispute occurred between the two parties, and police said the motorist later identified as 27-year-old Wyatt Earp Cooper, of Catskill, displayed a handgun during the dispute. Cooper reportedly then fled the scene in a red pickup truck, continuing north on Old Kings Highway. Area police departments were notified to be on the look out for an older model red Ford F-250, single cab pick-up truck, that was being operated by a white male with facial hair and a ball cap.

Yesterday, an Ulster County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a pickup truck on West O’Reilly Street in the City of Kingston, matching the description of the vehicle and operator. Saugerties Police Detectives responded and interviewed Cooper, subsequently charging Cooper with second-degree menacing with a handgun. 

Amy and Rich Devlin (GoFundMe)

A local couple and musical duo Amy and Rich Devlin were allegedly assaulted on Wednesday night, June 5 at approximately 10:20 p.m. walking home on Wurts Avenue to their apartment.

According to New Paltz Police Lieutenant Robert Lucchesi, the NPPD are “investigating an assault complaint,” but could not comment further as it is an ongoing investigation. The lieutenant did say that the department “is following up on several leads regarding the alleged assault.”

A GoFundMe campaign on Facebook has been launched by Katherine O’Prey Fuller in an effort to help the pair which she said had “sustained injuries that will heal but the financial burden of legal and medical fees is formidable.”

According to these social media posts, Rich is a house painter and has sustained broken ribs that will prevent him from working. To that end, the GoFundMe page has already surpassed its goal of $4,000 as of June 11.

There were several suggestions that the couple was assaulted by at least “four teenagers,” but the police would not comment any further until their investigation has been concluded on the alleged assaults. Meanwhile, friends continue to send well-wishes to the couple via social media sites. Barbara Carroll wrote on the Facebook fundraising page “New Paltz folk help New Paltz folk.”

“Neighbors and Snugs Fam, I really wish you the best through this tough time,” wrote Dan Pomarico-Maxson.

“Rich and Amy have given so much to the New Paltz community by sharing their love of music, playing gigs throughout town and Kingston. They also have played at countless musical benefits for others in New Paltz,” wrote O’Prey Fuller.

The New Paltz Times/Hudson Valley One will follow up on this story as more details become available.

Yesterday, the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) arrested Brian Kinsley, 34, of the town of Shawangunk for Possessing a Sexual Performance By a Child, a felony.

State Police out of Ellenville served a warrant on Brian Kinsley after an investigation revealed that he was in possession of an inappropriate picture of a child that was downloaded from the internet. Mr. Kinsley is a teacher with the City of Poughkeepsie School District.

This is an ongoing investigation.

Pot might be decriminalized in New York, but area marijuana smokers should be aware that possession of weed vaporizer pens filled with concentrated THC can incur a misdemeanor charge. Zachary T. Ham of Saugerties, 24, was charged with seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance when he was found in possession of multiple pen cartridges in the process of a routine traffic stop on June 8; the same charge can be attained by possessing a hypodermic needle loaded with heroin.

According to police, officers established that Ham was “operating under the influence of drugs” upon pulling him over on Glasco Turnpike. He was also charged with driving with ability impaired by drugs, a misdemeanor, and the violation of unlawful possession of marijuana (the charge that would be elicited by the discovery of under 25 grams of old-fashioned marijuana plant matter).

“Marijuana is just a violation — once you concentrate it, the effects of the THC are much more potent, [so] it falls under the category of a controlled substance,” said Saugerties Police Chief Joe Sinagra of the distinction. “I think, prior to the vape pen, [arrests involving] the concentrated THC [weren’t] that prominent. Now, because vape pens are so accessible, we see a high number of high school kids getting these vape pens. We’re starting to have more encounters with individuals in possession of it. There’s a concerning increase in the number of individuals that are using vapes throughout New York State.”

After processing at police headquarters, Ham was released to a third party; he will appear in town court later this month to answer his charges.

On Saturday, June 8, the New York State Police from the Rhinebeck barracks arrested Jeffrey P. Tompkins, 64, of Hyde Park, for three counts of Reckless Endangerment in the first degree, a class D felony.

On that day at approximately 6:40 p.m., troopers were dispatched by Dutchess County 911 to Pinebrook Drive in the town of Hyde Park for a report of gunfire. Upon arrival, troopers report that they found an armed subject, later identified as Tompkins, and determined that he was the source of the gun shots in his apartment. Investigation found a domestic incident had occurred in which Tompkins fired three rounds from a Smith and Wesson 9MM shield semi-automatic pistol into an apartment wall. Tompkins surrendered without further incident.

It’s been a little over two weeks since a Saugerties man killed his father in the parking lot of a New Paltz diner and shot himself following a police pursuit, and investigators are still trying to piece together why it happened.

According to New Paltz Police Lieutenant Robert Lucchesi, police have not yet “ascertained a specific motive” as to why Jeremy Kaartine, 22, decided to gun down his father, Andrew Kaartine, 58, of Orange County. “We do know that the son contacted the father to arrange this meeting to try and reconcile, as they’d been estranged,” said Lucchesi. The father was shot quickly by his son and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jeremy Kaartine sped off in his red Camaro and was soon being chased by law enforcement officers. He lost control of the vehicle shortly after turning off Thruway exit 20 in Saugerties where he lived.

“It appears the gun wound that killed him was self-inflicted, but we have not yet determined whether he shot himself while driving or after he lost control of the vehicle,” said Lucchesi.

Lucchesi said police recovered two guns from the car of Jeremy Kaartine, both of which were legally registered to him.

Jeremy Kaartine was single with no children, and has a step-brother. Lucchesi said that the suspect did have “ongoing mental and emotional issues,” but that police still have not landed on a specific impetus for such a ghastly crime. As for whether the suspect could have been under the influence of any substances at the time of the shooting, Lucchesi said police are waiting on the results of a toxicology report.

The store, located on Rt. 17m in New Hampton, Orange County

Shortly after 10 a.m. yesterday morning, state police responded to reports of an armed robbery at the Adult World Boutique located on Route 17m in New Hampton in Orange County.

A 911 call from the clerk reported that two men entered the store brandishing handguns and demanding cash, and that approximately $2,800 in cash was stolen from a safe. The men were seen by witnesses exiting the business holding handguns and fleeing in a light colored Ford Focus. A short time later the vehicle was stopped by Village of Goshen Police on Route 17m in Goshen. The occupants were taken into custody by responding troopers and Goshen officers.

The ensuing investigation by the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation determined that the robbery had been staged to cover the previous embezzlement of cash by the clerk who had originally called 911.

According to police, clerk Venessa Mirabel, 47, of Middletown, had been stealing cash from the business over the course of the past month. A plan was allegedly hatched with three accomplices to stage a robbery of the business in an effort to hide the previous thefts. Anthony Williams, 22, Jesse Hocutt, 32, and Sabrina Williams, 25, all of Hurleyville, were arrested as a result of the investigation. Mirabel was also arrested. 

All were charged with counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony, and fifth-degree conspiracy, a misdemeanor.  Mirabel was charged with additional counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, and providing a false written statement, a misdemeanor. All four were arraigned in the Town of Wallkill Court and remanded to the Orange County Jail in lieu of cash bail. 

The investigation is continuing and additional charges are expected. 

A 30-year-old East Kingston man was found guilty of arson and criminal mischief in connection with two fires in February of 2018.

Michael Watzka Jr. was arrested last September following an investigation into a suspicious Feb. 22 at 114 John St. in East Kingston that destroyed an abandoned garage and, two days later, another suspicious fire at the former East Kingston Methodist Church on Brigham Street less than a block from the first fire. According to the DA’s office, the second fire was so intense that firefighters had to do a “surround and drown”, pumping thousands of gallons of water into the structure. The flames could be seen for miles.  At the height of the fire, the two-story building’s walls collapsed outward nearly crushing several firefighters.

The fires were deemed suspicious as there was no electricity connected to either building, the proximity of the two structures, and that the fires occurred only two days apart.

The Town of Ulster Police began a four-month intensive investigation that led to the arrest of Watzka, a volunteer firefighter for the East Kingston Fire Department. Watzka was the first responder to each fire and participated in fighting both fires.

According to the DA’s office, Watzka had made several statements to his then-girlfriend indicating that he wanted to burn the two buildings to clear a line of sight between his residence and hers. He also reportedly told friends that wrapping duct tap around one’s shoes could disguise footprints.

The Ulster County Arson Task Force located a beer bottle near the area of the first fire that had defendant’s DNA. Also found at the first fire were a set of footprints that had duct tape impressions. A video at the East Kingston Fire depicted Watzka reaching deep into a trash can, appearing to hide something.  The Town of Ulster Police located crumpled duct tape in that trash can.

The trial commenced on Monday, June 17, and proof concluded yesterday. The jury deliberated for less than two hours. Watzka was convicted of third-degree and fifth-degree arson, and third-degree criminal mischief.

The trial was presided over by the Hon. Donald Williams. Watzka faces a maximum state prison sentence of fifteen years.  He will be sentenced on September 6, 2019 in the Ulster County Court.

This case was prosecuted by Sr. Assistant District Attorney Clifford Owens and Assistant District Attorney Jarrid Blades. The defendant was represented by Russell Schindler of the Public Defender’s Office.

DA Holley Carnright

The Ulster County District Attorney’s Office has formed a Conviction Integrity Unit to review cases with an eye towards identifying instances where an innocent person may have been convicted for a crime they didn’t commit.

The unit will review cases referred to them by the legal community and the public and, if warranted, reinvestigate them.

“The concerns here are obvious,” said District Attorney Holley Carnright. “And there have been so many advances in [investigative and forensic] science, it’s a good opportunity for us, in cases that warrant review, to have a chance to do so using those techniques.”

The unit includes senior representatives from the DA’s office, defense attorneys Tom Melanson and Cappy Weiner, Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, Kingston Police Chief Egidio Tinti and community activist Theresa Widmann. Referrals to the unit will be reviewed by a unit coordinator reporting directly to the DA. If the coordinator finds a legitimate issue of innocence, the case will go before the full committee. The committee will then develop a detailed action plan to re-examine the case. The committee is authorized to order a full reinvestigation of the case or forensic testing of evidence using techniques that were not available at the time of the conviction. As an additional protective measure, the full committee will meet twice a year to look at cases that were found to be without merit by the unit coordinator.

Carnright said the unit would focus on cases where the convicted person claimed they were actually innocent of the crime, rather than “wrongfully convicted” based on flawed legal procedure. In appellate courts, defendants can claim wrongful conviction based on things like a judge giving improper instructions to the jury or prosecutors failing to turn over relevant evidence without actually asserting innocence. Appeals courts, however, do not routinely authorize new investigations or forensic testing absent some demonstrated flaw in the legal process leading to conviction.

“The appellate process deals with what [evidence] was there at the time and was that sufficient to support a conviction,” said Carnright. “Generally, it’s not the defendant saying, ‘I’m really innocent.’ It’s ‘my lawyer screwed up, the judge screwed up, my sentence was unfair.’” 

Carnright said the unit’s formation was not spurred by any particular case or complaints about his office or local police agencies. Rather, he said, it was created in recognition of advances in forensic science and recognition that, despite safeguards, checks and balances, mistakes happen.

“This office has a duty to provide every safeguard to assure that only the guilty suffer the consequences of a criminal conviction,” Carnright wrote in a statement announcing the unit’s formation.

The announcement comes as Carnright prepares to step down after 12 years as Ulster County DA. His chief assistant, Mike Kavanagh, is running to succeed him. Kavanagh faces a challenge from Kingston-based litigator Dave Clegg, who is running on a reform platform that stresses rehabilitation and “restorative justice” for non-violent offenders. Clegg said he welcomed the formation of the unit and would continue and possibly strengthen it if elected.

“This is something I’ve been talking about all along,” said Clegg. “I guess they heard me.”

The New York State Police are investigating the robbery of Trustco Bank, located at 1490 State Route 9 in the town of Wappinger, which occurred late yesterday morning.

Investigation revealed a white male subject dressed in all black, with a black umbrella, and ski mask entered the bank. He threatened the use of an explosive device to gain access to the vault, and left the bank with an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency.

The investigation remains on-going.  If anyone has possible information regarding this incident they are asked to please contact the New York State Police at (845) 677-7300.  Please reference case #8994748.