NIVERVILLE—A man who allegedly threatened to kill fellow passengers on an Amtrak train was arrested by State Police, February 12.
Columbia County 911 dispatched State Police from Kinderhook to the County Route 28B railroad crossing at 5 p.m. to investigate a reported disorderly passenger on the train. Investigators and troopers boarded the train and removed the passenger, identified as William D. Wood, 32, of Winthrop, MA, following a brief struggle.
Asked whether Mr. Wood was carrying a weapon, State Police Public Information Officer Trooper Melissa McMorris told The Columbia Paper that Mr. Wood was found to have was a pen.
The train was traveling from Boston, MA, to Albany and was delayed for about 45 minutes while the investigation was conducted.
No Amtrak passengers or employees were injured during the incident.
Mr. Wood was charged with second degree menacing and making a terroristic threat. He was arraigned before Kinderhook Town Justice David Dellehunt and sent to the Columbia County Jail in lieu of $1,000 cash bail.
Amtrak Police Department officers were present and assisted with the investigation. A call to Amtrak Senior Communications Officer Craig Schultz was not returned.
Hudson
City Police received a call reporting a fight in an apartment at 206 State Street, Saturday, February 14 at 3:12 a.m.
The caller, who was not involved, was hysterical, and the dispatcher could hear yelling and crying in the background, according to a press release from Hudson Police Chief L. Edward Moore.
An officer arrived to discover the victim, a 39-year-old woman, lying on a couch being held by a man. The man was reluctant to let go of the victim and kept encouraging her to “walk home.” When police were able to separate them, Greenport Rescue Squad, already at the scene, administered first aid.
The woman had cuts to her face, bruising, facial fractures, brain swelling, bleeding and internal injuries. Her clothes were covered with blood.
Police say she had apparently been thrown to the floor, punched and kicked in the face. She was taken to Columbia Memorial Hospital, where she was admitted for treatment.
The man, identified as Renaldo Dion Harrington, 39, of 214 Columbia Street, was charged with second degree assault, a class D felony. Mr. Harrington told police the State Street apartment belonged to a relative.
As police started to take Mr. Harrington into custody, he allegedly “physically and violently resisted.” Officers “tazed” him and were able to handcuff him. Police report that Mr. Harrington continued to resist and refused to get into the police car. While an officer was opening the rear car door, Mr. Harrington allegedly purposefully slammed his head into the rear window of the patrol car, causing it to shatter. Once in the back seat, he repeatedly stood up through hole where the rear window was in an attempt to get out of the vehicle. A second police car was deployed to the scene. Mr. Harrington was placed in more restraints, but still fought violently, and kicked out a rear side window in the second car.
Additional charges for criminal mischief were filed. Mr. Harrington was arraigned before Hudson City Court Judge Mark Portin and was sent to the Columbia County Jail without bail. He is to return to Hudson City Court, February 20.
“It is not easy to coral a 200-plus pound man who is not willing to comply. I credit our officers for using their training to walk away from this incident without injury to themselves or the perpetrator. Our cars take a beating and are equipped with shields to protect the windows. This was an unusual situation involving a highly agitated, violent criminal,” Chief Moore said in the release.
*Maria M. Ruiz, 44, of Hudson was charged with third degree grand larceny, a class D felony, and first degree offering a false instrument for filing, a class E felony, by State Police investigators from the Livingston barracks, February 10.
The arrest stems from a joint investigation conducted by the State Police and the State Department of Labor. Ms. Ruiz is accused of unlawfully collecting more than $11,000 worth of unemployment benefits between March 2012 and March 2013 to which she was not entitled.
Ms. Ruiz allegedly generated false business records in which she certified weekly that she was unemployed when in fact she was gainfully employed.
She was arraigned in Greenport Court and was released on her own recognizance. She was scheduled to appear in Hudson City Court at a future date.
*El Shamar T. Thornton, 22, of Hudson was charged on arrest warrants for second degree criminal contempt (disobeying a court order, June 2014); petit larceny (June 2014); resisting arrest (July 2014); third degree criminal mischief (August 2014) by Hudson Police Officer Mishanda Franklin Cox at the police station, January 13 at 9:45 a.m. Mr. Thornton allegedly violated an order of protection issued by Columbia County Family Court; allegedly stole an iPhone from a female victim; allegedly fled on foot after being advised by police officers that he was under arrest on warrants; and allegedly threw a rock through a 24″ by 42″ glass window causing it to break during a dispute.
He was arraigned in Hudson City Court and sent to the Columbia County Jail.
*Shaquan E. Maurizio, 22, of Albany was charged on a warrant for third degree assault (with intent to cause physical injury) by Hudson Police Officer Nicolas Pierro at the police station, January 30 at 1:38 p.m.
Mr. Maurizio allegedly caused injury to someone during a September 2014 incident. He was arraigned before Hudson City Court Judge John Connor and released on his own recognizance to return to City Court at a later date.
*Mauro L. Santos, 44, of Hudson was charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of child by Hudson Police Officer James Nero at 357 Union Street, February 8 at 12:59 a.m.
Mr. Santos was involved in a dispute during which he allegedly pushed a woman in front of three children.
He was held for processing and arraignment.
Drugs/alcohol
The following face drug- and/or alcohol-related charges:
*Paul A. Sykes, Jr., 60, of Stephentown was charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, by State Police from New Lebanon, February 10. Mr. Sykes was operating a 2004 Mitsubishi when he was stopped by police for failing to maintain its lane of travel in New Lebanon. During an interview, troopers saw indications that he was intoxicated. Mr. Sykes provided a breath sample that yielded a .09% blood alcohol content. He was issued traffic tickets ordering him to appear in New Lebanon Court February 19, 2015.
*Derrick A. Boulais, 34, of Gloversville was charged with in first degree aggravated unlicensed operation (class E felony), driving while intoxicated, and having a blood alcohol content (BAC) greater than .08% (both class U misdemeanors) by Deputies Louis Bray and Scott Leggett, February 10 at 9:53 p.m. Columbia County 911 called deputies about a reported erratic driver southbound on State Route 9H. Deputies stopped the Boulais vehicle in Ghent. A breathalyzer test on Mr. Boulais resulted in a .10% BAC. He also had a suspended license. He was arraigned in Stockport Court and sent to the Columbia County Jail in lieu of $2,500 bail. He was to appear in Ghent Court at a later date.
*Cecil Lawrence Nichols, 63, of Hudson was charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) (first offense) and aggravated DWI (having a blood alcohol content of .18 or higher, first offense) by Hudson Police Officer Patrick Meister at 431 Prospect Street, Hudson, February 11 at 4:54 p.m. Police found Mr. Nichols to be operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and to have a blood alcohol content in excess of the legal limit. He was arraigned before City Court Judge Mark Portin and sent to jail in lieu of $1,500 cash bail or bond.
To contact Diane Valden email dvalden@columbiapaper.com
Inmates enlisted to clear hydrants
GREENPORT—With more than a foot of snow on the ground and more in the forecast, fire hydrants are becoming buried along area roadways.
Many localities depend on volunteer firefighters and nearby property owners to keep hydrants clear, but when the snow adds up, like now, that can be challenging. In response, Columbia County Sheriff David P. Bartlett has authorized use of the Sheriff’s Inmate Work Crew to help clear hydrants of snow, according to a press release.
The Inmate Work Crew program was started under Sheriff David Harrison and has been a big success, helping local municipalities with light work and clean-up projects, the release said. Beginning February 10, supervised crews were deployed where needed to help clear snow from around fire hydrants, so that they are easily accessible to firefighters during an emergency.
“When fighting a fire, every second counts. Time spent looking for a hydrant and then digging to access it, can mean the difference between saving a house and losing it—or even a life,” Sheriff Bartlett said in the release.
The Inmate Work Crew will make its way around the county as available and needed. Sheriff Bartlett encourages residents who have a fire hydrant on or near their property to keep it clear of snow if they are able.
Police issue Super Bowl tickets–not the good kind
ALBANY—On February 1, State Police issued 1,390 tickets during the Super Bowl Sunday STOP-DWI enforcement period.
The campaign began at noon February 1 and continued until midnight.
During this STOP-DWI campaign, State Police increased patrols and conducted sobriety checkpoints to deter, identify and arrest impaired drivers.
State Police arrested 31 people for driving while intoxicated during this 12-hour campaign.
Police also targeted speeding and aggressive drivers across the state. Below is a sampling of the total tickets issued: speeding 408, distracted driving 39, no seatbelt 55, violation of the move-over law 16.
