Timelines 11/2/13

East Ramapo School Board President’s property destroyed by fire
fire ignited under suspicious circumstances caused serious damage to an abandoned Spring Valley property owned by developer and East Ramapo School Board President Yehuda Weissmandl. The fire began on the first floor of a residence on Lawrence Street and was reported at around 2 p.m. Though initial reports claimed there was somebody trapped on the second floor, nobody was found by firefighters and no injuries were reported. An investigation later that day and police suggested a squatter might have inadvertently set the fire. According to Weissmandl, the property had been vacant for several months and he was planning on demolishing it for new residential buildings. However, issues with squatters have been prevalent with abandoned properties, serving as a hindrance to development. Weissmandl and his business partner Favish Langsam have other properties in Ramapo as well, including a condominium on Bethune Boulevard which had been cited for illegal subdivisions. The subdivisions have been removed since the citations.

Monsey couple charged with criminal trespass for illegally moving into property
A local couple were arrested in Monsey around 11 a.m. on October 27 for illegally occupying a vacant house on Route 306. Avraham and Bat Sheva Barouk had been evicted from their previous apartment before moving their belongings into the new location, a holding managed by the owner of Blueberry Hill Apartments. Though the home had been boarded up and in a visible state of disrepair, the Barouks also jumped the house’s meter for free electricity and cut a cable across the driveway to allow parking for vehicles. In spite of the property manager’s request for them to leave, the couple claimed squatter’s rights and refused to vacate. Police attempted to remove the two as well, but were forced to arrest them when they would not comply. The two were charged with Criminal Trespass in the second degree. Avraham was also charged with Obstructing Government Administration in the second degree, while Bat Sheva was charged with Resisting Arrest.

“Simpsons” voice actress Marcia Wallace passes away
Marcia Wallace, the voice of Edna Krabappel on The Simpsons, died of breast cancer-related complications at 9 p.m. on the night of October 25, leaving behind a long and accomplished television career. Wallace made 177 appearances on The Simpsons as Bart Simpson’s sardonic elementary school teacher. She also made appearances on shows such as ALF, Full House, Murder, She Wrote, The Brady Bunch and Bewitched. Before her most noted role, Wallace was a regular on both The Merv Griffin Show and The Bob Newhart Show. Wallace’s accomplishments also netted her honors in Hollywood. She was nominated for an Emmy for an appearance on Murphy Brown and won an Emmy for her role as Ms. Krabappel.

Ramapo Police arrest three drunk drivers on a single night, announce DWI crackdown
Ramapo – A special patrol set up to stop intoxicated drivers netted three suspects on October 27 in the first slew of anticipated arrests for the next few days. Police arrested Evelyn Aguilar, 31 from Spring Valley, Isael Limon, 32 from Pennsylvania and Juan Luis Mijangos, 24 from Nanuet, charging all three with DWI-related offenses. In addition, Aguilar was charged with felony DWI due to a prior conviction. Ramapo Police announced the number of DWI patrols would increase in Ramapo and other towns as part of a countywide crackdown on drunk drivers. The special patrols will occur in the nights preceding Halloween, when parties and alcohol consumption are more common.

State Police: SAFE Act ammo provisions will not begin on schedule
State police confirmed on Friday that ammunition purchases would not be subject to background checks or detailed recording of customer information by the expected January 15 implementation date. Officials explained they had not yet developed a system to compile information on ammunition purchases and conduct background checks on customers. Though the original schedule is no longer a blueprint for implementation of the new checks, the officials did not offer a date when they expected the system to be completed. The NY SAFE Act, which was passed after the Sandy Hook Shooting in Newtown, CT, requires ammunition dealers to complete background checks on buyers, who must appear to the vendor in-person and provide photo ID. The law also requires dealers to compile detailed records of customer information-including the name, age, occupation, and residency of buyers-as a reference for law enforcement.