A WTF? day in crime reports
Maybe because of the weather, maybe because of coincidence, this it turning out to be a WTF? day in local crime reports. From the awful, to the bizarre, to the Canadian...
Assault on the front steps
Albany police say a 61-year-old has been hospitalized for skull fractures after he we was allegedly beaten by men selling drugs on his brother's front steps Saturday in the South End. He had reportedly told the men to leave, there was an argument, and the group repeatedly punched and kicked them man, leaving him in the middle of the street. One man has been arrested and charged with gang assault.
Dirty old man
The APD says two sisters, ages 10 and 7, reported that a man -- approximately 70 years of age, wearing a black beret -- exposed himself to them as they walked home from Arbor Hill Elementary yesterday.
Church crasher
The APD says a 60-year-old homeless man was arrested for allegedly ripping apart the chapel at St. Peter's Hospital yesterday. It alleges the man "threw numerous chairs around the room. He then overturned two church pews that were screwed into the floor causing the wood to split. He proceeded to flip over a wooden alter which caused it to partially break. Artz also allegedly punched several holes in the walls and ripped wiring from inside."
Canadian!
Niskayuna police say an investigation involving the FBI has concluded that threatening YouTube videos directed at Niskayuna High School students starting last fall didn't originate locally. In fact, they didn't originate in this country. The NPD says the suspect is a minor -- in Ontario -- with no prior connection to the students. She allegedly noticed one of the Niskayuna students in a chat room and then tried to egg on some sort of online fight that was going on among the students.
The lesson here, of course: beware of Canadians.
More details on all these incidents are in press releases, pasted after the jump.
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Assault on the front steps
Albany detectives arrested a 21 year old Bethlehem man for gang assault last evening in connection with an assault that left a 61 year old man hospitalized with multiple skull fractures and bleeding on brain.
Nasir Stratton, of 42 Meadowbrook Drive, was charged with Gang Assault 2nd after being identified as one of the men who attacked Havie Everett outside of 148 Clinton Street late Sunday afternoon.
According to witnesses Stratton and three other men were sitting on the front steps of the victim's brother's apartment on Clinton Street selling drugs. The victim and his brother told the men to get off the steps or they were going to call police. Everett's brother went inside his apartment to get his phone while he stayed outside.
Everett and Stratton started to argue and it escalated into a fight. The other suspects joined in and attacked Everett. They repeatedly punched and kicked him in the head while he was on the ground.
A witness to the assault called police. When officers arrived the suspects all had fled the scene.
Everett was found lying in the middle of the street. EMS treated him at the scene and he was transported to Albany Medical Center. Doctors determined he sustained two broken orbital sockets, multiple skull fractures, a broken jaw and bleeding on the brain.
He is currently in serious condition and under sedation. His injuries are not considered life threatening at this time.
Detective are in the process of trying to identify the other suspects involved in the assault.
Stratton was arraigned this morning in Albany City Court and remanded to Albany County Jail.
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Dirty old man
Albany police are investigating an incident in which a man exposed himself to two young girls as they walked home from school yesterday afternoon.
Two sisters, age 10 and seven, were walking to their Clinton Avenue home from the Arbor Hill Elementary School around 5:00 p.m. when they noticed a male in the alley way near 114 Third Street. The victims state they got scared and began to walk faster in order to get away from the man. At one point the suspect crossed the street and waited for the girls to get closer to him. When the girls got closer the man allegedly urinated in the alley and then exposed himself to the girls and masturbated.
The suspect is described as a light skinned black male, approximately 70 years of age. He is 5'8", 170 lbs. with grey hair with a pony tail. He was last seen wearing a tan vest, black beret, and blue jeans.
A witness told police that the man fled east on Third Street in a light blue or green Dodge van.
The investigation is continuing.
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Church crasher
Albany police arrested a 60 year old homeless man for damaging the inside of the chapel at St. Peter's Hospital.
Roger Artz allegedly entered the chapel at 4:45 p.m. yesterday afternoon and threw numerous chairs around the room. He then overturned two church pews that were screwed into the floor causing the wood to split. He proceeded to flip over a wooden alter which caused it to partially break. Artz also allegedly punched several holes in the walls and ripped wiring from inside.
Artz was caught and held by security and turned over to police when they arrived. He was charged with felony criminal mischief.
He was arraigned in Albany City Court this morning and remanded to Albany County Jail.
Update from APD:The arrest of Roger Artz occurred at 5:00 a.m. this morning, not 5:00 p.m. yesterday. The initial arrest report had a typo in it.
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Comments
These all, indeed, are WTF stories. But the first one is really upsetting. I just don't believe the audacity of some people. Thank goodness nobody else was hurt in these crazy stories.
... said Summer on Mar 13, 2012 at 2:29 PM | link
"The lesson here, of course: beware of Canadians."
Yes, we are..um...I mean...they...THEY are shifty and not to be trusted. Or so a friend told me. :)
... said Chris on Mar 13, 2012 at 3:21 PM | link
Don't forget, a 16 year old was shot in the leg. The warmer weather is coming early this year, so expect the bullets to fly earlier as well, in the usual neighborhoods. Ug.
... said Jiminy on Mar 13, 2012 at 5:24 PM | link
Canada has the internet too?
... said James Frederick on Mar 13, 2012 at 6:55 PM | link