All Over Albany

Little movement on same-sex marriage, police say toddler's death was homicide, film crew setting up in Schenectady

There was little or no movement on same-sex marriage legalization yesterday at the Capitol as the issue has gotten stuck in a late-session tangle of issues, most notably NYC rent control. Also holding up a Senate vote on same-sex marriage: the ongoing concerns about protections for religious groups that don't want to participate. After a meeting of the Three Men in a Room, Dean Skelos nothing seems close at the moment -- and Sheldon Silver said frustration had set in. [NYT] [NY Post] [AP/Troy Record] [Fox23] [YNN]

While the politicians frustrated each other, protestors -- for and against same-sex marriage -- protestors jammed the Capitol, chanting and singing. Some of the interactions were heated -- in one case two rabbis were seen yelling at each other. [AP/Post-Star] [WNYT]

Outside the Capitol, thousands of state employees rallied against the plan to layoff 9,800 state workers. The Cuomo admin says it still plan to start issue the first round of layoff notices this Friday. [Troy Record] [TU]

Schenectady police say they're investigating the death of 20-month-old boy as a homicide (map). Neighbors in the Northside neighborhood say the boyfriend of the boy's mother had brought the child across the street looking for help because the boy had stopped breathing. The boy's mother says she wasn't home at the time, but says her boyfriend told her the child had fallen out of a crib. The boy's father says he had asked the mother to not leave the children alone with the boyfriend. No one has been charged, yet. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Fox23] [WTEN] [YNN]

The man convicted of sexually assaulting on a woman in a Dove Street apartment last year after being released from prison wasn't eligible for post-release supervision because he had served his entire sentence -- though he was eligible for civil confinement, but it's unclear why that didn't happen. [TU]

Albany police say a woman reported being sexually assaulted last Friday after a man forced his way into her house in the New Scotland neighborhood (map). The woman said she had opened the door a bit to the man after he said he was with animal control. [APD press release, pasted below]

Albany police say an elderly man was assaulted on that same street Saturday morning -- the second time he's been assaulted there since February. The APD says it's not sure if the two assaults against the man are connected. [APD press release, pasted below] [YNN]

Albany police say they've arrested two men for allegedly being behind recent robberies of pizza delivery men. [APD press release, pasted below]

Police say a 64-year-old woman in northern Saratoga County literally stabbed her husband in the back. [Saratogian]

Troy city councilman Michael LoPorto is fighting a request for handwriting samples in the alleged case of absentee voter fraud. [TU]

There's another turn in the ongoing drama between RPI and the Troy Fire Department. [Troy Record]

Pre-production crews for The Place Beyond the Pines, the Ryan Gosling-Bradley Cooper film, have started work in Schenectady. [TU]

A flight from Hong Kong was had to land at ALB last Friday because of weather at Newark. [TU]

Local teens say summer jobs are hard to find this year. [TU]

Saratoga little leaguer Dolly Cairns is an imposing presence on the mound (check out the photo). [Saratogian]

Alice Hargreaves Fay, an 88-year-old Saratoga Springs woman and WWII veteran, finally received her medals from the war yesterday. Why didn't she get her medals during the war? "There was a lot of stuff going on." [YNN] [TU]

photo: Rob Gierthy

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APD: reported sexual assault on Oakwood Street

Albany detectives are investigating a reported sexual assault on Oakwood Street this past Friday morning.

Police were called to the 47 year old victim's house after a man knocked on her door and forced his way in when she answered it.

The victim told responding officers that at approximately 10:00 a.m. Friday she went to answer the door when someone knocked on it. When she did the man at the door said he was from Animal Control and he needed to speak to her about an animal control issue. When she opened the door slightly he pushed his way in, pushed her to the ground, punched her in the face and then tied her hands together. The suspect then sexually assaulted the victim.

The suspect, described as a white male, then left out the same door he forced his way in. No further description is available at this time.

The victim was taken to St. Peter's Hospital for treatment.

A complete canvass of the neighborhood was completed and the investigation is ongoing at this time.

As more informaiton becomes available it will be released.

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APD: Attempted robbery on Oakwood Street

Albany police are investigating an attempted robbery of an 83 year old man on Oakwood Street in his back yard on Saturday morning.

The victim, who lives at 5 Oakwood Street, was in his backyard at approximately 11:20 a.m. when a man came up from behind him and grabbed him around his neck and punched him several times in the face. The suspect then reached into the victim's pockets and was attempting to take his money when a neighbor who saw what was happening yelled which caused the suspect to take off.

The suspect, described as a black male in his 30's wearing a blue plaid shirt, blue jeans and a baseball cap, ran east on Oakwood Street.

The victim sustained several small lacerations to his face. He was treated by paramedics at the scene and was transported to St. Peter's Hospital.

A K-9 dog tracked from the scene but was unsuccessful. Detectives and officers canvassed the neighborhood as well.

Detectives are investigating whether this incident is connected to this past February's burglary at the victim's residence in which a man forced his way through a side door and pushed the victim down stairs. The suspect stole money from inside the house and left.

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APD: arrests in attacks on pizza delivery men

Albany police arrested two city men responsible for committing three robberies of pizza deliveryman in the past three weeks.

Tyler Amos (picture attached), 22, of 12 Theatre Row and Diamon June, 21, of 101 Clinton Avenue, were arrested early Saturday morning and charged with six counts of Robbery 2nd.

Both men are accused of robbing the deliverymen of their food and money when they attempted to make a delivery. The suspects waited for the victim's to pull up in their car and then get out to make a delivery to a residence that had never called.

The first robbery occurred on May 31 at 1:25 a.m. They approached the victim as he was to make a delivery for Soho Pizzeria at 44 First Street. It is alleged that June stole the food and money while Amos pointed a long rifle at the victim.

The following two robberies occurred on June 6 and 17 and involved the same victim and pizzeria. The victim was making a delivery for New Yorker Pizzeria at 29 Second Street on June 6 at 11:00 p.m. when the two suspects robbed him at gun point of his food and money. They robbed him again on June 17 just after midnight in front of 29 Wilkins Avenue.

Both suspects were arrested by detectives. They were arraigned in Albany City Criminal Court and remanded to Albany County Jail without bail.