Stolen Van With Customized Wheelchair Inside Found In Yorktown: Suspects At Large Stolen Van With Customized Wheelchair Inside Found In Yorktown: Suspects At Large
Stolen Van With Customized Wheelchair Inside Found In Yorktown: Suspects At Large Police are searching for the suspects who stole a minivan containing a customized wheelchair in Northern Westchester before leaving the vehicle behind in a parking lot.  The original theft happened in Yorktown when a group of suspects who were breaking into unlocked vehicles in the middle of the night happened upon the van before stealing it, Yorktown Police said on Tuesday, June 20. The van, which had the key fob left inside, had also contained a customized wheelchair belonging to the victim's family member, who needed it for mobility, the department said.  Luckily, Yorktown Detective Da…
Aide Accused Of Harming Physically Disabled Man On Long Island Aide Accused Of Harming Physically Disabled Man On Long Island
Aide Accused Of Harming Physically Disabled Man On Long Island Nearly a month after a witness saw the Long Island incident, a man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a physically disabled person he was meant to be helping, authorities said. Paul D. Shorter, aged 32, was arrested on Saturday, June 3 for the alleged event, which occurred in May in an East Garden City parking lot, according to Nassau County police. On Wednesday, May 10, at approximately 2:15 p.m., a witness reported to authorities that they observed Shorter, a medical aide, being aggressive while trying to get a patient into a transportation van in a parking lot on Stewart Avenue…
CT Teacher Saves Disabled Man From Burning Van CT Teacher Saves Disabled Man From Burning Van
CT Teacher Saves Disabled Man From Burning Van A Connecticut teacher saved the life of a disabled man by pulling him from a van engulfed in flames. The incident took place in Hartford County on I-384 in Manchester on Thursday, Feb. 23, said Manchester Fire Rescue/EMS on Facebook. Heather Sica Leonard, a middle school teacher at Illing Middle School in Manchester, happened to be driving down the ramp at the same time the driver of the van, who uses a wheelchair, smelled smoke and found that his dashboard was on fire, fire officials said. Suddenly finding himself in a burning van, John, last name not provided, stopped on the side of the …
Non-Verbal Wheelchair-Bound Man Abandoned By Caretaker In Car In Central PA, Police Say Non-Verbal Wheelchair-Bound Man Abandoned By Caretaker In Car In Central PA, Police Say
Non-Verbal Wheelchair-Bound Man Abandoned By Caretaker In Car In Central PA, Police Say In only a t-shirt and shorts, a non-verbal wheelchair-bound 34-year-old man was found abandoned by his caretaker, authorities say.  The paid caregiver 63-year-old Joseph Mbugua Munyambu, on Jan. 7 at 10:53 a.m., according to a release by the Middletown Borough police.  Officers were first called to the 100 Block of Pathfinder Drive for an abuse/neglect call around 9:30 a.m.  A witness saw "an unattended male in the backseat of a parked vehicle for an extended period of time, and the vehicle was not running," according to a release by the department the following Monday.…
Mass Contractor Who Stole $78K From Customers Indicted On Felony Charges Mass Contractor Who Stole $78K From Customers Indicted On Felony Charges
Mass Contractor Who Stole $78K From Customers Indicted On Felony Charges A paving contractor who allegedly stole over $78,000 from customers, including the disabled and elderly, has been indicted for a laundry list of criminal charges, according to court documents. William Pusateri, owner of Priority 1 Paving in Dedham, was arraigned on 23 charges including larceny from disabled persons over 60 years old on Tuesday, Jan. 3, according to Middlesex Superior Court documents.  Pusateri, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, scammed customers from 2020 to May 2022 by taking deposits or payments in full for services that he never completed or only completed basi…
Holiday Cheer Sought For Bergen County Teacher With ALS Holiday Cheer Sought For Bergen County Teacher With ALS
Holiday Cheer Sought For Bergen County Teacher With ALS A Bergen County teacher who's married to a police officer could use some holiday cheer. Friends have been rallying to help Christine Grogan of Wyckoff, who has ALS, and her family. "Also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, ALS affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control," friend Nancy Bellovich in a GoFundMe campaign. "This is a progressive disease that still has no cure." Christine and her husband, Glen Ridge Police Officer Christopher Grogan, have two children, 15-year-old Julia and Jack. "At this stage of the disease, Christine is requiring at-home healt…
‘Praying For a Miracle:’ Homeless Flemington Man With Disability Prompts Wave Of Local Support ‘Praying For a Miracle:’ Homeless Flemington Man With Disability Prompts Wave Of Local Support
‘Praying For a Miracle:’ Homeless Flemington Man With Disability Prompts Wave Of Local Support The Flemington community is coming together to support Joe, a beloved disabled man who is homeless for the holidays. Joe, who has a disability and uses a wheelchair, is homeless and until recently has been staying in the Marshall’s/ShopRite center in Flemington, according to a GoFundMe launched for his housing support. Joe will be staying at a room at the local Ramada hotel until after Christmas due to the more than $4,400 in donations the campaign has received, a recent update says. However, he still has not secured more permanent housing. “We have been in touch with social services, cal…
Police: Ex-Con, 73, From Hudson Jailed For Assaulting Bergen Group Home Resident With Cane Police: Ex-Con, 73, From Hudson Jailed For Assaulting Bergen Group Home Resident With Cane
Police: Ex-Con, 73, From Hudson Jailed For Assaulting Bergen Group Home Resident With Cane A 73-year-old Hudson County woman with a lengthy criminal history whacked a resident at a Bergen County home for people with disabilities with a wooden cane during a fight that got physical, authorities charged. Frieda McPherson of Jersey City has had dozens of charges brought against her over nearly three decades for shoplifting, drug possession and aggravated assault -- on both civilians and police -- among other offenses, according to court records. She’s also received a host of repeated traffic summonses over the years, the records show. Franklin Lakes police officers responding to a f…
Hateful Images, Messages Sent To Westwood Regional Students Probed By Cyber Crime Detectives Hateful Images, Messages Sent To Westwood Regional Students Probed By Cyber Crime Detectives
Hateful Images, Messages Sent To Westwood Regional Students Probed By Cyber Crime Detectives An underage saboteur used the online account of a Westwood Regional High School student to email hateful messages to most of the victim’s classmates – among them, an image of a Ku Klux Klansman accompanied by an anti-Semitic caption, authorities said. The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Cyber Crimes Unit and Washington Township police are investigating the bias incident, which district officials traced to a “non-district minor’s” IP address, Schools Supt. Jill Mortimer wrote in a message to parents and staff members. “Please know this was not a breach of our network or system,” Mortimer emphasiz…
PA Boy Has Custom Wheelchair Stolen From Yard PA Boy Has Custom Wheelchair Stolen From Yard
PA Boy Has Custom Wheelchair Stolen From Yard An eastern Pennsylvania community is coming together after a local boy's custom wheelchair was stolen from his family's yard the morning of Aug. 10. Colleen Stipeck, of Effort, took to social media to post about the incident and ask for anyone's help in finding her 5-year-old son's wheelchair. Instead, residents took the initiative to donate wheelchairs, with some even offering to buy Mikey one. 🚨 🚔 Mikey’s wheelchair ♿️ went missing today from our front yard while it was outside drying from getting wet yesterday.... Posted by Colleen O'Reilly Stipeck on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 "The…
Uber To Pay Millions For Penalizing Riders With Disabilities, Federal Authorities Announce Uber To Pay Millions For Penalizing Riders With Disabilities, Federal Authorities Announce
Uber To Pay Millions For Penalizing Riders With Disabilities, Federal Authorities Announce Uber will forfeit nearly $1.8 million to more than 1,000 passengers with disabilities and refund double the amount of wait time fees to more than 65,000 others to resolve a federal complaint, authorities announced. Uber will also furnish an additional $500,000 to others harmed by the practice and will also waive wait time fees for certified riders with disabilities going forward, the Justice Department said Monday. The agreement settles federal allegations that the ride-hailing giant violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, authorities said. The double-money-back part of the deal coul…
Non-Verbal Autistic High School Senior Dies In Pennsylvania House Fire Non-Verbal Autistic High School Senior Dies In Pennsylvania House Fire
Non-Verbal Autistic High School Senior Dies In Pennsylvania House Fire A non-verbal, autistic high school senior died in a house fire earlier this week, according to officials and multiple media outlets. Aidan Albert Herrera, 20, of Hughestown, died in a fire at his home on Monday, officials say. The fire broke out in the the top floor of the family's home on Kenley Street in Hughestown, Luzerne County on Monday around 6 p.m., according to fire officials. Herrera was under the supervision of an aide while his father was out; he was on the toilet at the time of his death and refused to let the aide in the room, according to CBS21. “I miss him right now. His …