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Back-To-Back Robberies Of Store, Victim In Red Hook: Suspect Caught, Police Say
A Dutchess County village was shaken after two robberies were allegedly committed within minutes of each other by the same Ulster County man, police said.
The incidents unfolded on Wednesday, May 21 around 7:20 a.m., when troopers responded to a reported robbery in the parking lot of the Stewart’s Shop located at 7558 North Broadway in the Village of Red Hook, New York State Police announced.
Troopers arrived quickly and located the suspect, later identified as 61-year-old John E. Pagan, of Kingston, nearby in the village. He was taken into custody without incident, police said. …
Dad Murders Mom Before Plummeting To Death From Kingston Bridge, Orphaning 2 Kids: Cops
A Hudson Valley father murdered his wife before jumping to his death from a bridge, orphaning their two toddlers, police said.
Emergency crews in Ulster County were called to the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge for a report of a jumper at around noon Wednesday, April 23.
A short time later, investigators located the body of Caleb Smith, 45, of Kingston. When officers went to his Fair Street residence to notify his family, they found his wife, 37-year-old Kaleigh Smith, dead from stab wounds, police said.
Detectives concluded that Smith stabbed his wife to death before taking his own life, po…
Driver High On Drugs Hits, Kills Bicyclist, Mom Of 2 In Kingston, DA Says
A Hudson Valley woman was charged with vehicular manslaughter more than two years after an alleged DWI crash that killed a 65-year-old bicyclist and mother of two.
Vanessa Lowe, age 62, of Kingston, was arrested Thursday, April 3, after an Ulster County grand jury indicted her in connection with the death of Christine Tarasco.
Lowe was behind the wheel of a Honda Accord when she struck Tarasco as she rode her bicycle along Pine Grove Avenue in Kingston on Dec. 27, 2022, according to prosecutors.
Emergency responders were able to revive Tarasco at the scene, but she later died from her inju…
Father-Daughter Duo Who Stole $230K From Elderly Victim In Kingston Dodges Prison
A father and daughter who scammed a 92-year-old woman out of more than $230,000 in Ulster County won’t spend a day in prison.
Frank Whittaker, 56, of Kingston, and his daughter, Christine Ellsworth, 39, of Accord, were sentenced to probation and ordered to pay restitution in Ulster County Court on Tuesday, March 4.
The daddy-daughter duo gained the victim’s trust by helping with yard work and household tasks, according to the New York Attorney General’s office. Over time, Whittaker convinced the woman to grant him Power of Attorney over her finances.
But instead of managing her money resp…
Kingston Man Charged With Fentanyl, Cocaine Charges Following Investigation
An Ulster County man has been indicted on multiple felony drug charges following an extensive investigation into narcotics sales in the City of Kingston.
According to Capt. Joe Sciutto of the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, the investigation, carried out by the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT), identified Ontario S. Johnson, age 27, of Kingston, as a key figure responsible for selling fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in the area.
On Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office presented the case to an Ulster County grand jury, which…
7-Year-Old Struck in Kingston Crosswalk, Driver Cited for Failure to Yield: Police
A 7-year-old child suffered minor injuries after being struck by a vehicle while crossing the street with his mother in a Kingston crosswalk.
The incident occurred around 8:50 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 8, on the Boulevard near Stewarts, said Lt. Patrick Buono of the Kingston Police.
According to Buono, a 2011 Chevy Silverado, driven by Nicholas Visbeck, age 33, of Kingston, struck the child crossing the street with his mother in the crosswalk.
The child, who complained of pain, was transported to HealthAlliance Hospital Broadway Campus by the Kingston Fire Department. Injuries are not believed…
Kingston Hit-Run Driver Who Left Bicyclist Critical Arrested, Nysp Says
A 51-year-old Hudson Valley man was nabbed for an alleged hit-and-run crash that left the victim in critical condition.
New York State Police charged Keith P. McNamara, age 51, of Kingston, on Wednesday, Dec. 18, in the August crash with assault, tampering with physical evidence, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious injury.
State Police said an investigation determined that on Thursday, August 29, McNamara was driving the pick-up truck that struck Mark Segall, age 68, of Kingston, while he was riding his bicycle south on Route 375 in the town of Woodstock.
McNama…
Election 2024: Winner Projected In Hudson Valley's 18th Congressional District
With the votes counted, Democratic incumbent Pat Ryan defeated Republican challenger Alison Esposito in New York's 18th Congressional District, according to the New York State Board of Elections.
The 18th District includes all of Orange County and most of Dutchess and Ulster counties. The district consists of Newburgh, Beacon, Kingston, and Poughkeepsie.
According to the NYS Board of Elections, Ryan beat Esposito 194,237 votes to Esposito's 149,002 votes.
Ryan, 42, of Gardiner, is a fifth-generation Hudson Valley native of Kingston, a Kingston High School alum, and the first US Military Ac…
Newburgh Woman Gets 6 Months In Jail for Double-Fatal, Hit-Run Crash In Hudson Valley
A woman has been sentenced to six months in jail for the double-fatal, hit-and-run crash in the region.
Orange County resident Angela Fischl, age 25, of Newburgh, pleaded guilty to two counts of leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death on Tuesday, Oct. 15,
Following her plea, she was sentenced to five years probation and six months in the Ulster County Jail. Her driver’s license was also revoked, said Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji.
The plea and sentence are in connection to the Friday, March 1, hit-and-run resulting in the deaths of Ulster County residents…
'Beacon Of Positivity': Former College Golfer, Dad Dies In NJ Turnpike Crash In Cranbury
A Pennsylvania family was mourning the death of a father and Hudson Valley native who was killed on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Colin Mahon of Newtown Square, PA, died in a chain-reaction crash in Cranbury, NJ, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, a New Jersey State Police spokesperson said. The father of three children was 40 years old, according to his obituary from Donohue Funeral Homes.
A GoFundMe page in Mahon's memory had raised more than $118,900 from at least 326 donations as of Monday, Oct. 14.
"Colin was a beacon of positivity and strength, touching the lives of everyone around h…
Mercedes Theft Leads To Arrest Of Kingston Man For DWI/Drugs, Police Say
A Hudson Valley man nabbed for the alleged theft of a 2005 gold Mercedes from a Budget 19 Motel led to his arrest for a host of charges, including alleged DWI/Drugs.
The incident occurred in Ulster County around 8 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Budget 19 Motel on Route 28 in Kingston.
According to State Police Trooper Steven Nevel, in a preliminary investigation, the stolen car was involved in a collision with a 2021 Ford. While speaking with the operator of the Mercedes, later identified as Kevin Johnson, age 26, of Kingston, troopers determined that he was impaired, and he was arr…
PA Man Took 5-Year-Old To VA, NY For Sex: Usdoj
A 54-year-old Pennsylvania man has been sentenced after admitting to taking a 5-year-old girl for sex in Virginia and New York, the US Department of Justice announced on Wednesday, Sept. 25.
John Oathout, of Harrisburg, PA, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes in Syracuse, NY on Friday, Sept. 20. He'll serve 25 years in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release, and he'll be a registered sex offender for the remainder of his life, according to the USDOJ release.
Oathout admitted to taking the 5-year-old girl on trips out of state w…
