Over a year after an Old Stage Road family awoke to a crossbow bolt embedded in their living room wall, a bloodied axe on the floor of their home, a broken window and a torn screen on their porch, Johnnie Lancaster of the Town of Ulster, 25, was sentenced to 20 years in state prison and five years of post-release supervision after being found guilty of first-degree burglary and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

In the initial incident on Feb. 23, 2018, no one was injured and nothing was taken from the home in question. Five days afterward, a crossbow, bolts and a backpack were found in a wooded area near the home; investigators found a cell phone with a SIM card linked to Lancaster. Using the SIM card and DNA from blood found at the scene and on the crossbow, officers were able to link Lancaster to the crime and arrest him on March 1, 2018.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Gerard Van Loan. Lancaster was represented by Mikael Cohn of the Ulster County Public Defender’s Office.

A Kingston man is charged with felony assault after he allegedly beat another man with a metal signpost, causing serious head injuries. Jose L. Colon, 27 of Henry Street was arrested around 11:20 a.m. on Thursday, April 25, Kingston police said.

According to police, cops were called to the area of Albany Avenue and Maiden Lane for a report of a man with pipe chasing another man down the street. When officers arrived they found the victim, an unidentified 49 year-old Newburgh man, with numerous blunt-force injuries to his head and face. The man, police said, was stabilized at the scene by a nurse who happened to be in the area. He was later taken to HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley’s Broadway campus and eventually transferred to another hospital for treatment of severe head and eye injuries.

Cops say Colon chased his victim down the street and struck him with a metal signpost before fleeing the scene. He was located a short distance away and taken into custody. Colon was charged with one count of felony first-degree assault and two counts of felony second-degree assault.

A parolee once dubbed “the poster boy for gang warfare in Kingston” by Ulster County District Attorney Holley Carnright is back behind bars, now accused of firing a gun on a Kingston street in broad daylight back in February.

Marcello Douglas, 28, of Hone Street was arrested April 25 by members of the Kingston Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit, assisted by a K-9 unit from the Town of Ulster Police Department. 

Douglas’s arrest came after an Ulster County grand jury issued a sealed indictment charging Douglas with two felony counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and a single count of violation of parole. The charges stem from a Feb. 26 incident that occurred on the corner of Broadway and O’Neil Street. According to police, Douglas fired several shots from a handgun; cops believe the gunshots were directed at another individual with whom Douglas had had an altercation earlier that day. Several investigators with the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office happened to be working nearby when the shooting occurred and arrived on the scene within moments. Douglas, however, was able to flee the scene. Senior Assistant District Attorney Mike Kavanagh said police recovered a handgun and ballistic evidence at the scene which linked Douglas to the shooting.

Douglas, a reputed Bloods gang member, was released from state prison in October 2017 after serving nine years of a 12-year sentence following conviction on attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon charges. Douglas’ conviction stemmed from a July 2, 2007 shooting following Kingston’s annual Independence Day celebration and fireworks display. According to police, Douglas and a group of friends exchanged words with another group of young people during the fireworks show. A few hours later, Douglas approached one of the group — an 18-year-old Orange County man — as he sat in a parked SUV. Wielding a semi-automatic handgun, Douglas shot his victim five times in the torso. Carnright would later say that the shots were fired at such close range that they left powder burns on the victim’s shirt. At the time, Carnright referred to Douglas as “the poster boy for gang warfare in Kingston.”

Douglas was on parole until October 2022. He is currently being held without bail at the Ulster County Jail.  

New York State Police arrested a New Paltz man Friday, May 3, on felony drug and gun charges.

Johnny Jones, 43, of New Paltz, was arrested on the following charges:

• Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance in the first degree
• Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the second degree
• Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the third degree
• a Class B Felony Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the fourth degree
• Obstructing Governmental Administration
• Criminal use of Drug Paraphernalia in the second degree
• Unlawful Possession of Marijuana

The arrest concluded a ten-month State-Police investigation into the illegal trafficking of cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana in the town of New Paltz. Jones was arrested subsequent to a search warrant executed at his residence in the town of New Paltz. According to police, approximately 850 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine were seized from his residence, along with a stolen .40 caliber handgun, numerous rounds of ammunition, scales, drug packaging, marijuana, and about $10,000 in U.S. Currency. Also seized was a 2006 BMW pursuant to the investigation.

Jones was processed and arraigned in the town of New Paltz. He was remanded to the Ulster County Jail on $100,000 cash bail, $250,000 Bond.

On May 1, the New York State Police Troop K Violent Gang Neighborhood Enforcement Team (VGNET) and the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department arrested Saiquan J. Deslandes, 24, of Poughkeepsie, for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 3^rd degree with intent to sell, a class B felony.

According to police, Deslandes was found in possession of 20 decks (single-dose bags) of heroin.

Deslandes was arraigned before the town of Wappinger Court, and remanded by the Honorable Judge Kitchen to the Dutchess County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 secure bond.

A 33-year-old Kingston man was arrested and charged Monday with felony criminal contempt following a domestic violence incident, Kingston police said.

According to the KPD, Nathan Rodriguez is accused of violating an order of protection and pushing a victim to the floor, causing an injury,
in the presence of an eight-year-old child. Besides first-degree criminal contempt, Rodriguez was charged with the misdemeanors of third-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

Rodriguez was processed and arraigned in City Court and sent to Ulster County jail in lieu of $1,000 bail.

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.