Lewisboro Police Blotter: Stolen lotto tickets, contractor dispute, dog attack

SOUTH SALEM, N.Y. - While the month of October included the usual host of vehicle accidents and traffic infractions for Lewisboro Police, several serious incidents stood out on the police blotter.

On Monday, Oct. 27, the supervisor of a Cross River gas station filed a report of larceny that had occurred there a week earlier. The incident took place early in the morning of Oct. 20 and was documented on video footage. The station supervisor reported that a man in a hoodie walked into the market and reached behind the counter, taking two $30 VIP Millions Lotto tickets and leaving the market without paying. The supervisor also confirmed via inventory that the two Lotto tickets had gone missing that morning. The responding officer noted that the sweatshirt bore the insignia of an area country club.

The store supervisor also said that over the previous weeks a total of $250 worth of lotto tickets had gone missing but was unable to produce further video footage at the time. He suspected the same individual and said he would not press charges if the individual returned and paid for the tickets. The officer went to the country club and located the individual, based on the video footage – who later acknowledged the theft, returned to the gas station, and paid for the stolen tickets.

On Oct. 1, a hazardous spill was reported at a South Salem produce market, where employees were using a pressure washer inside. The Vista Fire Department found high readings of carbon monoxide and vented the structure. Later, the Lewisboro building inspector found patrons shopping at the market despite it being deemed unsafe, whereupon he issued a stop-work order until the situation cleared up.

A Katonah homeowner filed a civil action on Oct. 20 against a contractor that she had paid $5,000 to pave her driveway. It was supposed to be done the same day but instead the contractor demanded another $2,500. The responding officer advised the homeowner that the contractor appeared to be unlicensed and that in the future she should only hire contractors licensed to work in Westchester County. The officer further advised the homeowner to block the contractor's phone number and to contact police if the contractor appears on her property in the future.

Two dogs bit a home health aide in South Salem on Oct. 27. The dog’s owner was not at home at the time, and his wife was unable to control the dogs’ behavior. The dogs bit the aide’s right arm and left leg, both of which required stitches. The aide drove herself to the emergency room at Northern Westchester Hospital. Police prepared a bite form and submitted it to the Westchester County Health Department.

ACCIDENT REPORTS

Among vehicular accidents, on Oct. 30 an eastbound school bus bound for John Jay High School was clipped by a westbound truck and trailer. The rear of the truck struck the rear of the bus, damaging its stop arm, camera, rear bumper, and quarter panel. The truck continued to travel west. The responding officer interviewed a high school employee who witnessed the collision, reporting that he saw the truck veer into the eastbound lane and struck the school bus. The employee’s vehicle was equipped with a camera that recorded the incident, backing up the employee’s report. The officer learned that the truck was owned by a Connecticut firm; its owner contacted the school-bus company to resolve the matter.

The following were among the other vehicle accidents to which the Lewisboro Police responded:

• On Oct. 9 a driver in the rear parking lot of John Jay High School rolled backward and collided with a parked, unoccupied school bus. The crash caused damage to rear quarter panel on the driver’s side of the car, as well as damage to the front corner bumper on the driver’s side of the bus.

• On Oct. 11, a vehicle stopped on Route 35 to turn left onto Route 121. The vehicle that was behind it failed to stop and struck the turning vehicle. One of the drivers reported pain in the knee, lower leg and foot and was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital for evaluation.

• On Oct. 18, police assisted Vista and Westchester EMS in responding to an accident in which an ATV driver struck a tree alongside a road. The injured man was taken by ambulance to Norwalk Hospital with facial injuries but no loss of consciousness.

• Two vehicles collided on Oct. 21 in Goldens Bridge, with conflicting reports. The first vehicle’s driver said she was stopped at a red light at the intersection of North Street and Route 138, in the right turning lane. The second vehicle was in the left turning lane, also stopped at the light – but proceeded to make a right turn instead, striking her vehicle. The second vehicle said instead that she was stopped in the right turning lane at Route 138 when the first vehicle went around her and turned right, colliding with her vehicle.

• On Oct. 22 an accident involving damage took place when a car traveling east on Route 138 reportedly was struck by a vehicle pulling out of Pond Street. The driver of that Pond Street vehicle said the first driver waved him on to pull out. Neither driver reported injury and no tows were needed.

• On Oct. 25, a vehicle traveling east on Route 35 in Cross River drove off the right shoulder. The vehicle traveled about 120 feet into the ditch, struck a rock, and overturned. The driver was extricated and taken to Danbury Hospital with a head injury.

• On Oct. 29, a westbound vehicle on Route 35 reported that a vehicle turning from Spring Street struck her car. The second driver reported that had stopped for the stop sign on Spring Street and was struck by the first vehicle when she was turning left.

• On Oct. 31, a driver on Route 123 in South Salem swerved to avoid an animal in the roadway. He then drove off the road, struck a rock, and overturned. The driver was taken to a Connecticut hospital with pain in the lower leg and foot.

VEHICLE INFRACTIONS

On Oct. 2, an officer stopped a driver near the intersection of Route 35 and Route 121. The officer noted heavy damage to the vehicle and the driver wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. The vehicle bore a temporary Connecticut plate, which was covered. The driver had no license but provided registration paperwork. Through a check with eJustice the temporary plate was found to belong to a different vehicle. The officer also noticed typos in the registration paperwork, including the wrong zip code for Wethersfield, Conn., where the CT DMV is headquartered. The driver was asked to exit the vehicle and was detained in the rear of the police car, whereupon the officer found another temporary registration with similar errors. The driver received seven tickets – for improper plates, for unlicensed operation, for driving an unregistered motor vehicle, for operating without insurance, for having no license plate or a single plate, for having a dirty or covered plate, for no headlamp, and for driving without a seatbelt. He also received a mandatory court-appearance ticket while his passenger also received a ticket for no seatbelt. Sal’s towed the vehicle.

On Oct. 3 a driver who was stopped on Mead Street in Waccabuc was stopped for speeding. The driver produced a learner’s permit and the vehicle’s registration expired in 2023. The driver received tickets for speeding, operating an uninsured vehicle, and operating an unregistered vehicle. The vehicle was impounded by East Towing and the driver and his passenger given a courtesy transport to Bouton Mobil.

Another vehicle impoundment took place on Shady Lane near Route 123 in South Salem. Police stopped a vehicle with a homemade trailer that had no license plate. It was also found to be unregistered, had no vehicle ID number, and the rear left turn signal was inoperable. The trailer was impounded by Speed Auto LLC.

A vehicle with a temporary Connecticut plate was stopped in South Salem when an officer suspected the number to be forged. The driver provided his license and temporary registration, which provided to belong to a different vehicle. By checking the vehicle’s ID number the officer then learned that the previous registration on the vehicle had been revoked. The driver was detained in the police car and received three tickets: for operating without insurance, for an unregistered motor vehicle, and for improper plates. He also received a mandatory court appearance ticket. The vehicle was impounded by East Towing.

A stop for speeding on Oct. 23 near Waccabuc Country Club found the offending vehicle’s registration to be valid – but the driver’s license suspended twice. The vehicle also had illegally tinted windows, including the windshield. The driver received three tickets: for driving without a valid license, for failure to obey a traffic signal and for having a nontransparent windshield. The driver also received a court appearance ticket. The vehicle was left parked on Mead Street, where the man’s wife came later and retrieved it.

Police spotted a vehicle and trailer in South Salem that had large landscaping equipment that wasn’t secured. The driver produced an Ecuador idenfication and stated he did not have a license to drive. The registration for the trailer expired in September. The driver received tickets for unlicensed operation, for towing an unregistered trailer, and for an unsafe tire. Reliable Towing impounded the trailer.