Timelines 9/3/15

Spring Valley man arrested for driving drunk with children in car

A Spring Valley man was arrested on Sunday after a two car crash in Monsey revealed that not only was he driving drunk, but that he was doing so with his own children in the car.

Jose Luis Escobar, 48, rear-ended another car on Main Street while he was traveling with his wife and two children, ages 3 and 11. No injuries were reported.

Escobar was subsequently charged under Leandra’s Law with aggravated driving while intoxicated, a count leveled when a driver is drunk in a car with a minor under the age of 15. He was also slapped with misdemeanor counts of driving while intoxicated, child endangerment and a violation for driving without a license.

73 nonunion county employees to receive raises

Salary bumps are slated for 73 of the county’s 171 nonunion employees this year, as per recommendations from the county’s Personnel Department.

The pay bump, suggested to bring the county in line with cross-county pay standards in New York State, is the first of its kind in five years. The County will pay $113,033 into the new salaries in 2015 and $326,541 next year, with all raises capped at five percent. Most of the positions are in management, with 23 in other administrative and clerical roles.

Pay raises have been a contentious issue in the county among public employees owing to the length of time since the last round of pay hikes. Union-represented employees with the Civil Service Employees Association, which does not currently have a union contract with the county, have also been subject to uncertainty, with many of its members unsure if their contracts will be renewed after the transfer of Summit Park’s lease to private administrators with Sympaticare LLC.

According to Personnel Commissioner Joan Silvestri, pay raises in the future will be based on performance rather than longevity.

Two Red Cross members killed in Yemen

The Red Cross reported on Wednesday that an unknown attacker shot two of its members dead that morning.

The lone attacker, likely by a belligerent in the country’s ongoing civil war, killed the two Yemeni nationals in their car while they were returning from aid work in the country’s far northern Saada province. The casualties included the driver and a field marshal for the organization.

The shooting is not the first time the organization has been targeted during the conflict, with the group announcing it was suspending operations in the coastal city of Aden after its office was raided by unidentified gunmen. Though the attacker in the present case has not yet been identified, Saada is known to be a stronghold for Iran-backed Houthi forces seeking to expand their territory against Saudi-supported Yemeni loyalists.

The five-month conflict has caused a major humanitarian crisis in the region with the shutdown of borders, air travel, and seaports. Over 4,500 people have been killed so far.

Illinois police broaden search for suspect in police shooting

Police in Northern Illinois continue to search for three suspects connected to the fatal shooting of a veteran police officer in the small community.

Fox Lake Police Lieutenant Charles Joseph Gliniewicz was shot early Tuesday morning shortly after radioing in to report he was chasing three suspects on foot, two white and the other black. Backup officers later found him seriously injured before he died.

Since then, the size and scope of the manhunt has expanded considerably. It was reported by authoritieson Wednesday that over 400 officers are participating in the search, including 45 canine units and helicopters in what Lake County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli characterized as “saturation patrols.”

Police have urged residents to stay indoors while they scour the largely rural area for the suspects. Area schools have also closed and residents with dogs have been encouraged to request that police walk their dogs for them.

5 teens lost in Rockland County park get out safely

Five teenagers who got separated from a large group at Rockland County’s Kakiat Park were lost for about nine hours on Tuesday but made it out safely from the park, according to the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department.

The teens from New Square got lost in the park Tuesday afternoon when they got off a park trail. The incident sparked a large rescue effort involving police, volunteer firefighters and even the county’s emergency helicopter. However, police said the teens did get out safely, and none of the rescuers were injured in the search.
Originally published by Nyack Free Press

Airmont teenager charged with hosting underage drinking party

A 17-year-old Airmont boy has been cited for hosting a party where a large group of teenagers were drinking illegally on Sunday, according to Ramapo police. Town officers went to a home in Airmont at about 11 p.m. after reports of a loud party. When police arrived, the found about 20 youths with apparent alcoholic beverages. Seeing the police, the youths ran into the home.

Those found to have been drinking alcohol were turned over to their parents or guardians and homeowner’s son, age 17, was arrested and issued a summons for second-degree criminal nuisance. He faces a court hearing on the charge.