Wednesday News Brief

The man accused in connection with the death of a Genesee County Sheriff Sergeant Thomas Sanfratello has appeared in court. 33-year-old Michael Elmore is charged with manslaughter and assault on a police officer. Police noted that Elmore was involved with one other person in a struggle with the sergeant and casino security staffers as they were being escorted out of the casino following a confrontation. The courtroom was packed yesterday with officers from Batavia, State Police and the Sheriff’s office; the scene was reportedly very emotional when the Sergeant’s family saw Elmore in the courtroom. According to Batavia Police detectives in charging documents to the court, Elmore allegedly left the casino and went and got a metal chain necklace, which he brought back into the casino. He is accused of threatening the sergeant with the necklace, striking him on the head and face with the jewelry, and also putting him in a chokehold. Elmore will be back in court for a hearing on April 9 at 1pm. There is a possibility the case may go to Grand Jury. 39-year-old Lyndsey Wilcox was with Elmore at the time of the incident; she’s charged with assault and burglary.

REQUEST FOR PUBLIC VIDEO – DEATH INVESTIGATION The City of Batavia Police Department is seeking assistance from the public in gathering digital evidence from the incident that occurred at the Batavia Downs on March 10, 2024 resulting in the death of Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello. Anyone with video or other digital evidence is asked to provide it to the Police Department using this link:   https://bataviapdny.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/10march2024bataviadownsincident

Anyone with questions regarding this process can contact Detective Eric Hill at 585-345-6373.

 

71-year-old John Volpe of Alexander, an environmental activist and Native American speaker has been arrested and faces multiple felony charges. The Genesee County Sheriff’s Department arrested Volpe late last week following an investigation that also included assistance from the FBI. Among the charges against Volpe include predatory sexual assault against a child, course of sexual conduct against a child, criminal sexual acts, attempted rape, aggravated sexual abuse, attempted criminal sexual act, sexual abuse, rape, and forcible touching. Investigation revealed that Volpe engaged in numerous acts of sexual conduct involving a child beginning around 2012 and lasting until this year, with a known victim. This is an ongoing investigation and additional charges may be filed. If convicted, Volpe could face up to life in prison. He’s presently committed to jail on $20,000 bail.

 

29-year-old Shakayla Williams and 27-year-old Khadija Wilson, both of Buffalo, have been arrested. They’re charged with petit larceny and conspiracy, following allegations of shoplifting from Ulta Beauty in Batavia. Both were issued appearance tickets for a later court date. ALSO: 39-year-old John Ireland of Darien has been arrested. He’s charged with criminal mischief and damaging another person’s property in the amount of $250. This followed an investigation into a domestic incident. When police arrived they noted Ireland had broken multiple items. He was arraigned in CAP Court.

 

Governor Kathy Hochul is trying to drum up support for a series of proposals that would address the huge spike in retail theft in New York State. Small business owners and lawmakers joined the governor yesterday in Albany to talk about her proposal to set aside budget money to create a specialized New York State police unit to specifically focus on retail theft. Hochul is also proposing legislation that would increase criminal penalties for assaulting a retail worker by making it the same elevated penalty for assaulting a first responder. The governor also wants to give prosecutors more tools to go after third parties reselling stolen goods online.

 

The latest data from the state shows the spread of the flu virus remains high across our region. During the week ending March 2nd, Erie County led the area in infections with 531; next was Monroe County with469. Niagara County reported 133; Ontario County, 82 and Genesee County had 50 infections. Since the start of the flu season in October, over 320,000 state residents have tested positive for the illness.

 

An arrest has been made in connection with a hit-and-run near Buffalo Niagara International Airport. The NFTA says 51-year-old Travis Rosario was reportedly the person behind the wheel when a 44-year-old Cheektowaga man was struck on Luiz F. Kahl Way February 27th. The victim was walking away from the airport at the time and ended up being hospitalized, but has since been released. Rosario is due in court March 28th.

 

Starting today, Buffalo Bills fans will have the chance to get an interactive preview of the new Highmark Stadium. The Bills Stadium Experience is going to be open at the Walker Center Plaza on Main Street in Williamsville. The exhibit can only be seen by season ticket holders, and the Bills are asking people to be patient as they work on getting everyone in as soon as possible. The new stadium in Orchard Park is expected to be ready for the 2026 season.

 

The Buffalo Sabres are now on a two-game winning streak after cruising to a dominant win at home. Bowen Byram scored twice and Zach Benson, Jeff Skinner, JJ Peterka, Alex Tuch and Connor Clifton had a goal each as the Sabres beat the Detroit Red Wings 7-3 at KeyBank Center last night. Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 21 of the 24 shots he faced in the contest. The next game for the Sabres is tomorrow night at home against the New York Islanders with face-off at 7:00. By the way, the NHL has announced the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils would play two games in Prague on October 4th and 5th. A few weeks later, the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers will face off for two games in Finland. Those games will be played November 1st and 2nd. This will mark the eleventh season the NHL has played regular season games in Europe.

 

ELSEWHERE…

Inflation was up again in February, slightly higher than analysts were predicting. The consumer price index, a measure of the cost of goods and services, was up .4% for the month and 3.2% from the same time last year. The numbers are down from the recent peak of inflation in 2022, but still off of the Federal Reserve’s goal of a 2% rate. It likely means the Fed will continue to hold off lowering interest rates.

 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a short list when it comes to his running mate on the independent presidential ticket. On Tuesday, it was reported Kennedy has been in talks with NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, as well as former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler Jesse Ventura. Kennedy later confirmed the two were at the top of his list for potential running mates, and said he’s been speaking with Rodgers “pretty continuously” for the past month.

 

It’s been four years since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and America and the world shut down. In New Jersey, state health officials announced the first recorded COVID death was on March 10th of 2020, with the total number of cases reaching 15. According to the CDC, hundreds of New Yorkers were already dying from COVID each day and hospitals were overflowing with COVID-19 patients. This year, COVID deaths and hospitalizations have dropped dramatically. So much so, that earlier this month the CDC rescinded its recommendation that those who test positive for COVID isolate for five days.

 

Health officials in the U.S. are monitoring more cases of measles. Doctors at UC Davis Health in California are trying to contact around 300 people who may have been exposed to the virus. Officials say a child was treated at the facility on March 5th after traveling abroad. Chicago is now also reporting its first case of the virus since 2019. According to the CDC, as of March 7th, 45 measles cases were reported by 17 jurisdictions in the US. Measles spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It can cause severe disease, complications, and even death. Measles can affect anyone but is most common in children.