Boght secion hard hit last weekend
LATHAM – Two men died in separate vehicle accidents in the Boght section of Colonie between Friday afternoon and early Sunday morning.
On Friday, June 9 at approximately 1:39 p.m., a motorcycle driven by Alexander Ortiz Jr., 74, of Hannacroix, according to reports, crossed into oncoming traffic on Cohoes Crescent Road just south of the New York Power Authority power plant. The motorcycle collided with a 2012 Nissan Altima driven by a 21-year-old Selkirk man.
Ortiz Jr. was thrown from the motorcycle and the driver of the Altima attempted to render aid and called 911. Other motorists who came upon the crash also tried to help until Colonie EMS and the Boght Fire Department reached the scene.
Ortiz Jr. was treated by EMS and transported to The Albany Medical Center Hospital where he died from his injuries. The man driving the car was not injured.
Cohoes Crescent Road was closed between Route 9 and Fonda Road for approximately an hour and a half while the Colonie police Traffic Division investigated the crash.
According to police, preliminary investigation did not reveal a reason for the motorcycle to cross into the other lane and that neither speed nor impairment was a factor for the collision on the part of either driver.
A second deadly crash in the area took place on Sunday, June 11 at approximately 3:08 a.m. on New Loudon Road (Route 9) near Boght Road.
The vehicle, a 2022 Subaru driven by Zacharie Lecuyer, 36, of Altamont, was headed south on New Loudon Road when it, according to police, crossed over the median lane, through the northbound lanes and onto the grassy shoulder. It struck a street sign, a driveway embankment and a tree before coming to rest in the yard of 1121 New Loudon Road and caught fire.
Debris from the vehicle caused damage to the property.
Colonie EMS responded but the driver succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Boght Fire Department put out the resulting vehicle fire and assisted Colonie police with closing New Loudon Road between Boght Road and Old Loudon Road.
The road remained completely closed to traffic for approximately three hours, then lanes were gradually reopened in both directions, and it was opened completely at 8:25 a.m.
This crash is still an open investigation. Police are asking any witnesses or anyone who has information on either crash, especially relevant video, to contact the Traffic Division at 518 783-2744.
Stolen vehicle
LATHAM – On Friday, May 26 at approximately 12:36 p.m. Colonie police found a Troy woman in possession of a stolen vehicle on Troy Schenectady Road.
Cameron Byrnes, 24, was arrested and charged with conspiracy, a felony. She was released on an appearance ticket and is scheduled to return to Colonie Town Court on Tuesday, June 6.
Criminal contempt
COLONIE – A 46-year old Michael White of Troy was picked up by Colonie police at the Albany County jail on Friday, May 26 on an outstanding warrant stemming from a May 2021 incident at the Super 8 Motel on Wolf Road.
White was charged with criminal contempt – prior conviction, a felony, and arraigned by Colonie Judge Andrew Sommers.
Arrest warrant
COLONIE – A Loudonville man was arrested at his residence by Colonie police on Saturday, May 27 after he did not show up for court.
Robert Ruth, 49, was arraigned by Colonie Judge Andrew Sommers.
Grand larceny, four cases
LATHAM – Colonie police responded to Walmart and took John Dominy, 52, of Albany into custody for larceny and found to have pending charges for grand larceny in four other cases.
He was charged with two counts of grand larceny, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor in the Colonie case.
Dominy also had multiple other larceny charges in Bethlehem in the last 8 months.
He was processed and released with an appearance ticket. He is scheduled to return to Colonie Town Court on Wednesday, June 7.
DWI on Vics Court
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to a single car property damage accident on Vics Court in the Village on Monday, May 29 at 2:49 p.m. and found the driver drunk.
Officers observed that the driver, a 36-year-old man from Colonie, showed signs of intoxication and was still in the vehicle. He was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
The man was taken into custody and later charged with DWI and ticketed for failing to stay in a single lane.
He is scheduled in Colonie Town Court on Monday, June 12.
Warrant and
parole warrant
COLONIE – Albany police transported Damian Perez, 33, who is homeless, to Colonie police to face an outstanding arrest warrant.
He was charged with petit larceny, a misdemeanor, and given an appearance ticket for the charge. Perez was then transported to the Albany County jail for an active parole warrant.
Aggravated
cruelty to animals
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to a residence at the Sunset Trailer Park for a report of animal cruelty on Tuesday, May 30. After an investigation, police allege that Roxanne Gebhardt, 29, intentionally cut off the tail of her dog with a pair of metal scissors two days earlier.
She was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony.
Bench warrant
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to a restaurant on Central Avenue for check a person call on Tuesday, May 30 at 8:41 p.m. and found an Albany woman was wanted for not showing up to court.
Carrie Desorbo, 44, was taken into custody on the strength of the warrant and released with an appearance ticket. She is scheduled back in court on Monday, June 12.
Warrants in many places
COLONIE – On Tuesday, May 30, Colonie police traveled to the Rensselaer County jail to pick up James Merriwether, 58, of Troy for an outstanding warrant.
Merriwether did not show up for court in October. He was processed and released on an appearance ticket.
Merriweather was arrested in April 2020 for allegedly stealing from Walmart on Route 9W was arrested for the third time on Thursday, June 2 on a warrant for not showing up for court.
Originally he was given an appearance ticket at the scene of the alleged crime at Walmart. He was arrested by State Police on an outstanding warrant in February 2022 for not showing up for court and was released on his own recognizance in Bethlehem Town Court.
This time, he was arrested by Bethlehem police as he was being released from Albany County jail. He was processed and released after police contacted Bethlehem Town Judge Ryan Donovan and he ordered Merriwether to appear in court on Tuesday, June 6 with an appearance ticket.
Asleep at carwash, had drugs
LATHAM – A Clifton Park man was asleep in his car with the engine running at a carwash when police arrived to check him on Wednesday, May 31 at 7:30 a.m.
After officers woke up Philip Horowitz, 35, he gave them another name because he had outstanding warrants with other police agencies.
Police observed a glass pipe on the console. Horowitz had an amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl. He was arrested and charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal impersonation, all misdemeanors. Horowitz was arraigned in Colonie Town Court by Judge Andrew Sommers and then transported to meet officers from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s office.
Scooter thief at BJ’s
COLONIE – A man was arrested on Wednesday, May 31 for stealing four electric scooters from BJ’s at the Northway Mall in August. Joseph Fleischer, 46, of Coxsackie was transported from the Coxsackie Correctional Facility to Colonie for the warrant for the thefts.
He was charged with grand larceny, a felony, and arraigned by Colonie Judge Andrew Massry.
Bench warrant
COLONIE – Sean Cooper, 40, of Rensselaer, was processed and arraigned on Wednesday, May 31 for not showing up in court in November.
Charges from Macy’s incident
COLONIE – An Albany man was transported to Colonie police from the Albany County jail on Wednesday, May 31 to face charges stemming from an incident at Macy’s in June 2022.
Aaron Williams, 35, was charged with grand larceny, conspiracy and robbery, all felonies, and two counts of failing to appear in court.
He was arraigned by Judge Norman Massry.
Felony DWAI-Drugs
COLONIE – Colonie EMS responded to Karner Road on Wednesday, May 31 at 10:53 a.m. and found a woman unconscious behind the wheel of her vehicle. Colonie police conducted an investigation and found that Cara Mia Canale, 34, of Schenectady, was operating the vehicle while impaired by drugs.
Canale refused further treatment from EMS and was given and failed field sobriety tests. She was taken into custody.
She was charged with DWAI-Drugs- prior conviction, a felony. She was issued an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on Monday, June 5.
Warrant
COLONIE – A Troy woman was a passenger in a car that was the subject of a traffic stop near the intersection of Cohoes Road and Tibbits Avenue on Friday, June 2 and Colonie police found she had an outstanding warrant.
Sara Ryan-Sousie, 38, was taken into custody, processed and arraigned for not showing up to court in October.
Criminal
Contempt
COLONIE – A 66-year old Colonie man turned himself in connection with an incident on Virginia Avenue on Monday, May 29.
Fernando Mele, was charged with criminal contempt- physical contact, a felony, and assault with intent to cause physical injury, a misdemeanor. He was arraigned by Colonie Judge Norman Massry.