Afternoon News Brief

GENESEE COUNTY INDICTMENTS: 21-year-old Delonta Curry of Batavia has been indicted on counts of criminal possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon on school grounds. Both are considered felonies.

 

 

 

 

 

43-year-old James Santiago Jr. of Batavia is now indicted on one count of failure to register a change of address as a sex offender. Santiago is accused of not notifying the New York State Division of Criminal Justice of a change of address within the required 10 days for a registered sex offender in July.

 

 

 

 

 

35-year-old Isaac King of Batavia has been indicted on counts of criminal contempt and aggravated family offense; both are felony charges. King is accused of making repeated phone calls to a victim in the Town of Pembroke in violation of a court order.

 

 

 

 

 

28-year-old Jarrod Fotiathis of LeRoy is indicted on many charges, including grand larceny, conspiracy, criminal possession of stolen property, petit larceny and unlawful possession of personal identification; he’s accused of stealing a credit card in the City of Batavia and stealing cash from the same victim and then later attempting identify theft of a second victim. Fotiathis allegedly used a person’s identify to make purchases of $670.77 using that person’s debit card. He also allegedly stole an Amazon Fire Stick.

 

 

 

 

29-year-old Rufus Johnson of North Chili has been indicted on a count of burglary and two counts of petit larceny. Johnson is accused of entering Walmart in Batavia with the intent to commit a crime inside the building. He is accused of stealing property while inside the store.  ALSO:  28-year-old Jason Neth of Corfu is indicted on counts of unlawful imprisonment and leaving the scene of an incident without reporting. Both are felony charges. He’s accused of restraining a person under circumstances that exposed the person to risk of serious physical injury and also of operating a motor vehicle, causing serious physical injury to another person and leaving the scene.

 

BATAVIA POLICE and SHERIFF REPORT: 39-year-old Steven Wasielewski of Pembroke has been charged with criminal contempt and assault. He’s accused of violating an order of protection and hitting another person causing injury at a location on Phelps Road in Pembroke. Wasielewski’s release status was not provided. ALSO: 39-year-old Jessica Holtz of Rochester has been arrested in Batavia on two bench warrants. The first stemmed from a petit larceny charge at Kwik Fill on Jackson Street; she failed to appear in court to answer that charge. The second warrant was also associated with petit larceny from a South Swan Street church, for which she also failed to appear in court on the scheduled date. Holtz was arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Court; her release status is not known at this time. ALSO: 41-year-old Mark Robbins of Bergen is charged with two counts of harassment. He’s accused of shoving one person and striking another during a disturbance at a location on South Lake Avenue, Bergen. Robbins was issued an appearance ticket.

 

All schools in the Hilton Central School District opened today after they were evacuated following a bomb threat. Officials say an e-mail was received yesterday claiming that pipe bombs had been placed in every building. Police responded to the scene and said the threat was not credible. There will be an increased police presence at the schools for the rest of this week as a precaution.

 

 

The investigation continues today into an accident that resulted in a pedestrian being struck. Last night around 8:30 on Route 63 in Alabama, a vehicle driven by 67-year-old Vidal Chavez of Elba struck 44-year-old Richard Alan Jones, Jr. as he crossed the road into the path of the vehicle. Jones was struck and pronounced deceased at the scene.

 

 

 

34-year-old Ervin Stubbs of Ocala, Florida has been arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon and for being a fugitive from justice; this followed a road rage incident during which Stubbs allegedly shot a 42-year-old man from Detroit, while traveling on the Thruway in Pennsylvania. The victim was shot in the knee but still managed to drive to the Fredonia/Dunkirk exit, where he met with New York State Police. He was treated at Erie County Medical Center and released. An investigation found that Stubbs was allegedly operating a truck on the Thruway when he allegedly shot the victim. He was located at the Flying J Truck Stop in Pembroke and found in possession of a Ruger 9mm handgun. Stubbs was arraigned in Batavia and transported to Pennsylvania to face additional charges on a warrant extradition.

 

New information has been released about a crash that resulted in the death of an 18-year-old man. The person who died in Monday’s accident on Main Street in Buffalo has been identified as Jerel Buchanan. He and several other people were in a vehicle that struck a pole and then rolled over. Buchanan passed away at the scene and the other victims are still recovering. The cause of the crash is still being looked into.

 

A member of the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division is in some legal trouble after being charged with a felony. An investigation was opened earlier this year after a report was received about inappropriate conduct at the county courthouse. It was later determined that 44-year-old Deputy Adam Broadwell used an electronic device to eavesdrop on conversations he wasn’t involved in. Broadwell was released on an appearance ticket and is suspended without pay. (Provided photo)

 

 

 

Buffalo police have made two arrests in connection with a shooting that left a teenager hurt. They say 20-year-old Isaiah Hicks and a 16-year-old boy were involved in Tuesday’s shooting on Mary B Talbert Boulevard. When officers got to the scene, they found a 14-year-old boy had been struck in the back by gunfire. There has been no information made public about just how badly the boy was injured. Both Hicks and the 16-year-old are facing charges.

 

 

With less than two weeks until the April 1st deadline, Governor Hochul says that she’s hopeful a state budget can be passed on time. But, the governor said yesterday that a final agreement will depend on several key issues such as changes to the state’s current bail-reform laws. The governor believes the budget plan that she’s proposing will help reduce gun violence and other crime. She says her number one priority is protecting New Yorkers and that people deserve a criminal justice system that prioritizes safety and justice.

 

Tax season is in full swing, and people are being encouraged to know their rights when it comes time to hire someone to do their taxes. The state Department of Taxation and Finance says all tax preparers must tell you immediately if they’ll represent you if your return is audited and have to ask you the correct questions so they can do your return accurately. Preparers are also required to allow you to review your completed return before you sign it. Any complaints can be filed online at tax.ny.gov.

 

 

Officials with the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority have announced when an information session will be held about the upcoming police transit exam. It is scheduled for this Saturday from 12:30pm to 1:30pm at the Frank E. Merriweather Junior Library on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo. Attendees will be able to find out just what goes into being a member of the transit police on a daily basis and also how to apply for April 29th exam. For more information, go to nfta.com/police.