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Police & Fire
Tip Helps Nab 25-Year-Old With Illegal Gun, Drugs, Over $20K In Capital Region, Police Say Tip Helps Nab 25-Year-Old With Illegal Gun, Drugs, Over $20K In Capital Region, Police Say
Tip Helps Nab 25-Year-Old With Illegal Gun, Drugs, Over $20K In Capital Region, Police Say A man from the region is facing drug and weapons charges thanks to an anonymous tip to police. In Rensselaer County, Richawn McClain, age 25, of Troy, was arrested Tuesday, Jan. 9. Troy Police officers were called to the area of River and Rensselaer streets after someone submitted an anonymous tip on the agency’s website reporting suspicious activity. During their investigation, detectives identified McClain as the suspect. A surveillance team spotted him a short time later and arrested him without incident. McClain was found with oxycodone pills and an illegal handgun loaded with 13 roun…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Double-Fatal Crash In Region: 16-, 17-Year-Old HS Students ID'd As Victims Double-Fatal Crash In Region: 16-, 17-Year-Old HS Students ID'd As Victims
Double-Fatal Crash In Region: 16-, 17-Year-Old HS Students ID'd As Victims Two high school students ages 16 and 17 were killed in a four-vehicle crash in the region. Click here for a new, updated story - Teen Killed In Double-Fatal Hudson Valley Crash Remembered As Being ' Incredibly Thoughtful' The collision occurred in Ulster County around 9 a.m., Monday, Jan. 8 on Route 28 in the town of Shandaken. A Preliminary investigation revealed that a Volvo tractor-trailer, driven by a 54-year-old Bronx man was traveling east when he saw a Honda stopped on the roadway waiting to turn north onto Route 212, said Trooper Steven Nevel of the New York State Police.&nb…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Trio From Region Charged By Welfare Fraud Task Force For Receiving Benefits While Working Trio From Region Charged By Welfare Fraud Task Force For Receiving Benefits While Working
Trio From Region Charged By Welfare Fraud Task Force For Receiving Benefits While Working Three residents from the region have been charged with welfare fraud following an investigation. The Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force made the following arrest made the following arrests in November and December 2023: Ciera M. Hatch, age 31, of Liberty, was arrested and charged with welfare fraud and offering a false instrument for filing. It is alleged that Hatch stole SNAP benefits from the Sullivan County Department of Social Services by failing to disclose on her SNAP re-certification application that she was employed during this same time frame. This unreported income resulted…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Woman From Region Nabbed For Burglary, Drug Possession, Police Say Woman From Region Nabbed For Burglary, Drug Possession, Police Say
Woman From Region Nabbed For Burglary, Drug Possession, Police Say A 32-year-old woman from the region was allegedly busted for attempting to break into a building and possession of drugs after she was caught with burglary tools. Sullivan County resident Samantha J. Ripley, of Monticello, was charged on Friday, Dec. 29 ,2023 after a witness called police after allegedly watching her pry a door off a business.  According to Lt. Mark Johnstone of the Monticello Police, an eyewitness alerted officers after observing Ripley pulling and prying at a rear door of the building before she entered it. Monticello officers arrived and arrested Ripley a…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Special Delivery: Man Ships Meth To Capital Region, Sells Fentanyl, Feds Say Special Delivery: Man Ships Meth To Capital Region, Sells Fentanyl, Feds Say
Special Delivery: Man Ships Meth To Capital Region, Sells Fentanyl, Feds Say A 46-year-old man is facing federal charges after allegedly shipping methamphetamine to the region from out of state and selling fentanyl. Michael Laudicina, of Santa Cruz, California, was arraigned on drug charges in Albany federal court on Thursday, Jan. 4. Prosecutors said Laudicina shipped at least 50 grams of meth to Albany, Ulster, and Warren counties on three occasions between July and November 2022. He also sold fentanyl – a powerful, synthetic opioid that’s nearly 100 times stronger than morphine – in August 2022, prosecutors said. In court Thursday, Laudicina was arraigned on ch…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
New Update: Teens From Capital Region Missing For 2 Weeks Located New Update: Teens From Capital Region Missing For 2 Weeks Located
New Update: Teens From Capital Region Missing For 2 Weeks Located Two teenagers from the region have been located weeks after going missing. Columbia County residents Aubrey Congemi, age 15, and Briana Carlton, age 17, had last been seen in the hamlet of Elizaville on Sunday, Dec. 17. At the time, New York State Police said the girls had recently moved to the area from Albany and were known to hang around the Colonie Center and Crossgates Mall shopping areas. On Tuesday, Jan. 2, police said Congemi and Carlton were located by Albany Police.  Both girls were in good health and were returned to their family. No other details were given. Original st…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Fleeing Robber Strips To Underwear After Targeting Capital Region Home, Police Say Fleeing Robber Strips To Underwear After Targeting Capital Region Home, Police Say
Fleeing Robber Strips To Underwear After Targeting Capital Region Home, Police Say A man is accused of breaking into a woman’s home in the region on Christmas Eve and robbing her. Police in Columbia County were called shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 24 about a break-in at the Hudson Terrace Apartments in the city of Hudson. The victim told investigators that a man had forced his way into her apartment before approaching her and stealing her cell phone. He then exited her home and stripped down to just his underwear while in a hallway. As officers were investigating the break-in, someone in a different unit called 911 saying a man was knocking on apartment windows wea…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
4 Children Die After Fire Rips Through Connecticut Home 4 Children Die After Fire Rips Through Connecticut Home
4 Children Die After Fire Rips Through Connecticut Home Four children all under the age of 12 died during a massive house fire overnight in northern Connecticut. Fire Update: Residents Donating To Help Somer Family That Lost 4 Children In Blaze The fire occurred in Tolland County around 10:25 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 44 Quality Ave., in the town of Somers. According to Somers Fire Marshal/Fire Chief John Roache, first-arriving firefighters had word that several people may be trapped inside. "Our initial personnel were on scene within 5 minutes and found the entire front of the house heavily involved in fire," said Roache.  Three r…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Man Sets Fire To Veterans Building In Capital Region, Police Say Man Sets Fire To Veterans Building In Capital Region, Police Say
Man Sets Fire To Veterans Building In Capital Region, Police Say A man is facing arson charges after allegedly setting fire to a veterans' organization building in the region. The incident happened at around 9 p.m. Monday, Jan. 1 in Troy, at the Veterans of Lansingburgh club on 1st Avenue. Troy Police said multiple people called 911 reporting a fire on the building’s exterior. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames with minimal damage reported to the building. Police said witnesses identified the suspect as 43-year-old Michael Christianson, of Troy. Officers found him a short time later near the scene and arrested him. Christianson wa…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
IDs Released For 5 Killed In Cross Island Parkway New Year's Crash IDs Released For 5 Killed In Cross Island Parkway New Year's Crash
IDs Released For 5 Killed In Cross Island Parkway New Year's Crash The identities have been released of five people killed during a two-vehicle crash near the Whitestone and Throgs Neck bridges in New York City on New Year's Day. 5 Killed In New Year's Day Crash On Cross Island Parkway In Queens The crash occurred around 6 a.m., Monday, Jan. 1 on the northbound  Cross Island Parkway in Queens in the area of Exit 36S, said the NYPD. A preliminary investigation determined that a blue 2018 Mazda sedan was traveling northbound on the Whitestone Expressway approaching the southbound exit ramp to the Cross Island Parkway when the 24-year-old driver struc…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Drones Will Soon Respond To Police Calls In This Capital Region Locale Drones Will Soon Respond To Police Calls In This Capital Region Locale
Drones Will Soon Respond To Police Calls In This Capital Region Locale Instead of a live officer, some police calls in New York will soon be answered by a drone. On Tuesday, Dec. 26 the Schenectady City Council authorized the city’s police department to enter a six-year contract with Seattle-based BRINC Drones for its “First Responder” drone program. As part of the nearly $700,000 contract, the agency will receive a fleet of BRINC’s LEMUR 2 drones, which allow for live-streaming and two-way communications. The devices are also equipped with a thermal sensor and a glass breaker. A Schenectady Police spokesperson told WRGB the drones will initially be used fo…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Combative 20-Year-Old Busted With 'Ghost' Gun During Halfmoon Traffic Stop, Police Say Combative 20-Year-Old Busted With 'Ghost' Gun During Halfmoon Traffic Stop, Police Say
Combative 20-Year-Old Busted With 'Ghost' Gun During Halfmoon Traffic Stop, Police Say A routine traffic stop in the region ended with a 20-year-old in handcuffs on weapons charges. The Saratoga County incident happened just before 1:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, in Halfmoon on Tower Way. State Police said 20-year-old Shawn Koenig, of Pittsfield in Rensselaer County, was initially stopped for a vehicle and traffic law violation. The trooper ordered him out of the car for a standardized field sobriety test, but Koenig reportedly refused to cooperate. He had to be forcibly removed from the vehicle and continued resisting until he was placed in handcuffs, police said. A search …

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by Michael Mashburn