Man wanted for attempted murder arrested on Thruway in Rockland County

BILL DEMAREST

RAMAPO – An upstate New York man has been arrested on attempted murder charges after he was spotted on the New York State Thruway in Rockland County on Wednesday afternoon, according to State Police.

Police said state troopers, with assistance from Ramapo police, arrested Christopher L. Cowen, 23, of Cohoes, N.Y. He was captured after troopers sported a 2006 Hyundai Elantra driving southbound on the Thruway that matched information from police in Schenectady, who were seeking Cowen.

Cowen was initially spotted by a trooper in the Harriman area and was taken into custody in Ramapo without incident at about 12:44 p.m., police said.

As a trooper was following Cowen on the Thruway, Ramapo police said two town officers went to Old Route 17 near Exit 15A to standby just in case the vehicle got off the Thruway. Almost immediately upon arrival, the town officers saw a lone trooper initiating car stop of the Hyundai on Thruway at Exit 15A.

The town officers cut across the grass that separates Old Route 17 from Thruway and assisted the trooper as he attempted to make contact with two occupants of the car. Town officers commanded the front seat passenger, Cowen, to get out of the car and lie on the ground. He was handcuffed without incident.

Police told the media that the arrest was related to a Christmas Eve stabbing in Schenectady, NY.

Originally published by Nyack Free Press