Harrison Police Blotter

Here is a look at noteworthy happenings of the Harrison Police Department between Jan. 14 and Jan. 24.

Driving Under the Influence

Officer Vincent Lanzillotti was on patrol at 8:46 p.m. on Jan. 14, when he observed a vehicle stopped for a red light in the southbound lane of Harrison Avenue at the intersection with Heineman Place. When the traffic signal turned green, the vehicle remained in position.

Lanzillotti approached the car after his lights and siren failed to get the operator's attention, and saw the operator sleeping. The officer opened the driver side door, at which point the operator woke up. He asked the operator is he was ok, and the operator stated he was coming from work in New York City and that he had sleep apnea. 

After notifying department headquarters about the traffic stop and asking the operator to pull further off the road, Lanzillotti saw the operator pouring a beverage out from a clear plastic cup into a bag in the backseat. The officer asked what he was doing, and the operator held up another cup and said he was drinking hot cocoa. Lanzillotti asked for his license and registration, and the operator first handed over his checkbook and insurance card before supplying the officer with the requested license and registration. The operator was identified as Christopher J. Wilson, aged 50, of Halstead Ave.

Wilson failed three sobriety tests and was arrested for Driving While Intoxicted. While Lanzillotti was inventorying Wilson's vehicle, he observed a prescription bottle for Oxycodone in Wilson's name. Wilson stated he took three 10 mg. pills around 5 p.m. He was then transported to police headquarters, where he performed a Blood Alcohol Content test. The result was .07. He also provided a urine sample to be tested for oxycodone at the Westchester County Toxicology Lab.

Illegal Drug Possession

At approximately 3:56 p.m. on Jan. 16, Officer Antony Salov observed a vehicle enter eastbound Westchester Ave. with its rear license plate unreadable due to being bent upwards and unsecured hanging at an angle.

Salov pulled the vehicle over for a traffic stop and the operator stated he had no license but was able to identify himself as Ricardo A. Ridrigues, 57 from Port Chester, NY, with a paper New York State identification card.

A search revealed the operator to have a suspended license, and he was placed under arrest. A search of Rodrigues revealed one small bag of cocaine powder and residue in the front center pouch of his hooded sweatshirt. Rodrigues was transported to police headquarters and the front seat passenger, Spencer Crumbsie, consented to a search which was negative for contraband. Crumbsie was then transported to Rye Ridge Shopping Center by Harrison Police without incident.

At approximately 2:27 a.m., Officer Sokol Biberaj was on patrol when he observed a black BMW drive across the yellow road divider while traveling northbound on Lake Street in the vicinity of Barnes Lane.

After initiating a traffic stop, Biberaj detected a strong odor of marijuana while asking the operator for her license and registration. He asked the operator if there were any drugs, and the operator who was later identified as Emily Sachse, aged 19 of Hickory Court in Purchase, said there were no drugs. The officer explained to Saches that marijuana has a very distinctive smell, and asked her again if there were drugs. She said yes.

The officer asked Saches how long ago she had smoked the arijuana and she replied it had been about two hours. Biberaj asked the operator to hand over the drugs, and she retrieved a brown bag from the rear seat. A bag containing alleged marijuana, a green container of alleged marijuana and an orange container of alleged marijuana were recovered.

Another police officer arrived on the scene for assistance, and Sache passed the required performance tests. After conducting an inventory of the vehicle, Biberaj recovered a partially smoked cigarette of alleged marijuana in the center console.

The defendent was released with a return court date of Jan. 26 and driven home by a friend.