Afternoon News Brief

Mayor Malik Evans confirmed today that the man whose body was pulled from the Highland Park reservoir Tuesday had been reported missing last month and had been in the water for nearly a month.  The body was identified as 29 year old Abdullahi Muya who was reported missing March 9 after last being seen Feb. 18.  Muya entered a gated area at the reservoir Feb. 24 around 6:30 a.m., slid down the side of the reservoir into the water and died. Police said no one else was present and Muya’s death doesn’t appear to be criminal in nature.  Evans said the area is patrolled by cameras, with heat and motion sensors, as well as city security and Water Bureau personnel but Muya’s body went undetected for 24 days.

Rochester Police are looking for suspects from a shooting on the city’s northside Wednesday morning.  Around 9:15 a.m., officers responded to the 1700 block of St. Paul Street for the report of a person shot.  A short time later, the victim, a 17-year-old girl, arrived at a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.  No arrests have been made.

Sheriff William Sheron put out a thank you to the community today.  It reads: On behalf of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, I would like to thank the community, emergency service responders, fellow law enforcement agencies, and state and local government officials for your immense support to the Sanfratello and Genesee County Sheriff’s Office family during our time of loss.  We have received support locally, from across the state, and nationally and your words and gestures are very much appreciated.  Sergeant Sanfratello was a special person to all that knew him, and he will be missed tremendously.

A Rochester woman is one of four people indicted, accused in a massive mail defrauding scheme.  Prosecutors say 30-year-old Heather Dierna helped trick nearly 5,000 companies into paying false invoices over the course of about two years, raking in almost $4 million.  She and three others are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

A New York City homeowner was arrested for unlawful eviction after arguing with squatters who, she says, stole her $1 million home last month. Two men broke into the home of 47 year old Adele Andaloro and when she called police on them, they claimed to live there.  According to the laws in New York City, as soon as the men claimed to live there they gained squatters rights and it then became a tenant landlord issue and had to go to court, which could take over 2 years to reach a judgment, before the men could be removed.  The men said to reporters that the law means if they just stay there and claim to be residents they thought they could claim the building for themselves and become New York City landowners.

The woman accused of stealing almost half a million dollars from a Buffalo church allegedly spent the money on Taylor Swift concert tickets among other things.  Lisa Noble is accused of stealing more than $400,000 from St. Amelia Church in the Town of Tonawanda while working as a business manager between April 2023 and September 2023.  Investigators believe she spent all the money on concert tickets, travel, lodging, and other personal expenses including $20,000 on a trip to Kansas City for a Taylor Swift concert.  She is also accused of stealing more than $500,000 from a doctor’s office in the City of Tonawanda over about five years while working as an office manager.