ThisIsRochester.com: Crime

Huge fracas erupts near Park Avenue Festival site

Aug. 3, 2019 -- About 20 Rochester Police Department officers responded to Thayer and Dartmouth Streets to contain rowdy mid-afternoon behavior near Park Avenue.

Callers told police that people were throwing bottles at vehicles parked near the Park Avenue Festival.

Officers arrived to find between 250 and 300 people were on Thayer Street and warned then to disperse, at which point some in the crowd began throwing bottles and rocks at police, who responded by deploying a pepper ball.

No officers were injured.

Shooter in Sodus double homicide sentenced to maximum term

Aug. 1, 2019 -- The convicted shooter in a double homicide in Sodus that left a young couple dead last fall has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Timothy Dean, 34, was convicted this spring of first-degree murder for the Oct. 22, 2018, slayings of Joshua Niles and Amber Washburn in a plot orchestrated by his wife, who wanted custody of two of her children back from Niles. She and Bron Bohlar pleaded guilty to their roles in the killings earlier this year.

At the sentencing, Wayne County Judge Daniel Barrett called Dean, a police chief in Sunray, Texas, a "classic psychopath."

Prosecutor Christine Callahan called the murders "the ultimate crime" that shook the community.

"I don't know which one of you three geniuses thought you were going to get away with this," Barrett told Dean. "You will certainly die in prison."

Sentences handed down for men in toner scam

July 26, 2019 -- Four men convicted of defrauding Xerox Corp. out of more than $20 million have been sentenced.

Kyle Haynes, Jason Haynes and Bryan Day pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing a false tax return. Kyle Haynes was sentenced to 2½ years in prison, Bryan Day was sentenced to more than two years and Jason Haynes was sentenced to six months. They must also pay more than $9.4 million in restitution to Xerox.

David Haynes, who pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $884,000 to Xerox.

All the defendants must also pay about $25,000 to the IRS. The four shared the profits with Robert Fisher, who has also pleaded guilty to federal charges.

Xerox business customers pay the company for toner based on the number of prints made. Prosecutors say the defendents operated sham companies that bought dozens of Xerox printers and ordered nearly $25 million in toner on credit and then sold the material for about $11 million.

Arrest made following stabbing death

July 26, 2019 -- Rochester police made an arrest following an early-morning stabbing death on Karnes Street in the city.

Officers called to the scene just after midnight for a report of a stabbing found Dytanyia McCracken, 35, on the ground with a wound to his upper body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police susbequently charged Erica Mathis, 35, with murder.

Colino will remain in psychiatric facility

July 26, 2019 -- The suspect accused of fatally shooting a woman in Brockport two years ago will remain in custody at a psychiatric facility for at least another year.

During a hearing for Holly Colino, it was decided that she is still mentally unstable and cannot stand trial.

Colino is accused of shooting Megan Dix in 2017. Colino pleaded "not responsible" by reason of mental disease or defect.

Florida police make arrest in Rochester homicide

July 26, 2019 -- Investigators in Florida have made an arrest in connection with a May 26 homicide in Rochester.

Jonathan Ruiz-Morales, 25, was taken into custory in Bithlo, Fla., approximately 20 miles east of Orlando. He is accused of killing Kirstie Slingerland, 29, at a home on Orchard Street.

Rochester Police Department investigators traveled to Florida last week to execute a search warrant. Ruiz-Morales was arrested shortly afterward and charged with second-degree murder.

Final suspect in planned attack pleads out

July 25, 2019 -- The last of four suspects in the plot to attack a Muslim community in the SOuthern Tier using bombs and firearms pleaded guilty in a deal that will send him to a children's detention center until he turns 18 and then state prison.

Nicholas Pheilshifter, who was 16 at the time the plot was foiled, pleaded guilty in the plot to bomb Islamberg, a community outside Binghamton. Prosecutors said Pheilshifter built the explosive devices and kept them in his mother's home. He pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon in a terroristic crime and will serve seven years in state prison.

Fellow suspects Vincent Vetromile, Brian Colaneri and Andrew Crysel pleaded guilty in June to various weapons and conspiracy charges. The four were arrested in January after Greece Police were tipped off about the plot and executed search warrants and found explosive devices that the FBI determined were capable of causing damage, injury and death.

RPD officers disarm man with gun

July 24, 2019 -- A Rochester man was in court after injuring two Rochester Police Department officers who were allegedly trying to disarm him when he pulled a gun on them during an incident on Weyl Street.

Police identified the suspect as Treiquan Hawkins, 26. Charges against Hawkins included criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degrees, menacing of a police officer, two counts of second-degree assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.

RPD said the two officers were on routine patrol just before 6:30 p.m. when they approached a group of people and asked for identification and Hawkins pulled out a loaded handgun. The officers said they began to fight with Hawkins and the gun was knocked to the ground. Hawkins picked up the weapon before officers wrestled it away and took him into custody.

Both officers suffered minor injuries and were treated at a hospital. Hawkins was also taken to the hospital after he complained of having trouble breathing.

Following the arrest, police said they executed a search warrant at the home on Weyl Street, where they found a loaded illegal handgun, several thousand dollars in cash and a large quantity of marijuana. Officers have not charged anyone with the drugs and gun recovered in the house.

Hawkins pleaded not guilty and was ordered held on $25,000 cash bail.

Webster shooting victim dies

July 19, 2019 -- A Webster resident has died two days after being shot at his home in an early-morning incident. Police identified the victim of the shooting as 29-year-old Timothy Manley Jr.

Webster Police were called to Hollywood Boulevard around 1:40 a.m. for the report of a man bleeding on the ground outside a home. Manley was taken to a hospital to be treated for at least one gunshot wound.

Charges upgraded in Gates distracted driving case

July 16, 2019 -- The 29-year-old woman accused of driving distracted before running over two young children on Lyell Avenue in Gates is facing more charges following further investigation by police.

Latoya Palmo of Gates is charged with two counts of second-degree assault, a felony, and two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. She was allegedly distracted while driving in the 2300 block of Lyell Avenue on July 11 and struck a wagon with two children, ages 2 years and 10 months. The children were pinned underneath Palmo's car and dragged for 50 feet before coming to a stop.

The reckless endangerment charges stem from the mechanical condition of the car, police said. Palmo was originally charged with reckless driving, a misdemeanor, and moving from a lane unsafely and uninspected motor vehicle, both violations.

Palmo initially told Gates Police she was distracted by her two sons misbehaving in the back seat of her car, but Chief Jim VanBrederode said forensic analysis of her cellphone showed Palmo was taking a photograph and videotaping a "for rent" sign at the time of the accident.

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	A summary of noteworthy crime news in Greater Rochester
	More from 2019 Huge fracas erupts near Park Avenue Festival site Aug. 3, 2019 -- About 20 Rochester Police Department officers responded to Thayer and Dartmouth Streets to contain rowdy mid-afternoon behavior near Park Avenue. Callers told police that people were throwing bottles at vehicles parked near the Park Avenue Festival. Officers arrived to find between 250 and 300 people were on Thayer Street and warned then to disperse, at which point some in the crowd began throwing bottles and rocks at police, who responded by deploying a pepper ball. No officers were injured. Shooter in Sodus double homicide sentenced to maximum term Aug. 1, 2019 -- The convicted shooter in a double homicide in Sodus that left a young couple dead last fall has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. Timothy Dean, 34, was convicted this spring of first-degree murder for the Oct. 22, 2018, slayings of Joshua Niles and Amber Washburn in a plot orchestrated by his wife, who wanted custody of two of her children back from Niles. She and Bron Bohlar pleaded guilty to their roles in the killings earlier this year. At the sentencing, Wayne County Judge Daniel Barrett called Dean, a police chief in Sunray, Texas, a "classic psychopath." Prosecutor Christine Callahan called the murders "the ultimate crime" that shook the community. "I don't know which one of you three geniuses thought you were going to get away with this," Barrett told Dean. "You will certainly die in prison." Sentences handed down for men in toner scam July 26, 2019 -- Four men convicted of defrauding Xerox Corp. out of more than $20 million have been sentenced. Kyle Haynes, Jason Haynes and Bryan Day pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing a false tax return. Kyle Haynes was sentenced to 2½ years in prison, Bryan Day was sentenced to more than two years and Jason Haynes was sentenced to six months. They must also pay more than $9.4 million in restitution to Xerox. David Haynes, who pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $884,000 to Xerox. All the defendants must also pay about $25,000 to the IRS. The four shared the profits with Robert Fisher, who has also pleaded guilty to federal charges. Xerox business customers pay the company for toner based on the number of prints made. Prosecutors say the defendents operated sham companies that bought dozens of Xerox printers and ordered nearly $25 million in toner on credit and then sold the material for about $11 million. Arrest made following stabbing death July 26, 2019 -- Rochester police made an arrest following an early-morning stabbing death on Karnes Street in the city. Officers called to the scene just after midnight for a report of a stabbing found Dytanyia McCracken, 35, on the ground with a wound to his upper body. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police susbequently charged Erica Mathis, 35, with murder. Colino will remain in psychiatric facility July 26, 2019 -- The suspect accused of fatally shooting a woman in Brockport two years ago will remain in custody at a psychiatric facility for at least another year. During a hearing for Holly Colino, it was decided that she is still mentally unstable and cannot stand trial. Colino is accused of shooting Megan Dix in 2017. Colino pleaded "not responsible" by reason of mental disease or defect. Florida police make arrest in Rochester homicide July 26, 2019 -- Investigators in Florida have made an arrest in connection with a May 26 homicide in Rochester. Jonathan Ruiz-Morales, 25, was taken into custory in Bithlo, Fla., approximately 20 miles east of Orlando. He is accused of killing Kirstie Slingerland, 29, at a home on Orchard Street. Rochester Police Department investigators traveled to Florida last week to execute a search warrant. Ruiz-Morales was arrested shortly afterward and charged with second-degree murder. Final suspect in planned attack pleads out July 25, 2019 -- The last of four suspects in the plot to attack a Muslim community in the SOuthern Tier using bombs and firearms pleaded guilty in a deal that will send him to a children's detention center until he turns 18 and then state prison. Nicholas Pheilshifter, who was 16 at the time the plot was foiled, pleaded guilty in the plot to bomb Islamberg, a community outside Binghamton. Prosecutors said Pheilshifter built the explosive devices and kept them in his mother's home. He pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon in a terroristic crime and will serve seven years in state prison. Fellow suspects Vincent Vetromile, Brian Colaneri and Andrew Crysel pleaded guilty in June to various weapons and conspiracy charges. The four were arrested in January after Greece Police were tipped off about the plot and executed search warrants and found explosive devices that the FBI determined were capable of causing damage, injury and death. RPD officers disarm man with gun July 24, 2019 -- A Rochester man was in court after injuring two Rochester Police Department officers who were allegedly trying to disarm him when he pulled a gun on them during an incident on Weyl Street. Police identified the suspect as Treiquan Hawkins, 26. Charges against Hawkins included criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degrees, menacing of a police officer, two counts of second-degree assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. RPD said the two officers were on routine patrol just before 6:30 p.m. when they approached a group of people and asked for identification and Hawkins pulled out a loaded handgun. The officers said they began to fight with Hawkins and the gun was knocked to the ground. Hawkins picked up the weapon before officers wrestled it away and took him into custody. Both officers suffered minor injuries and were treated at a hospital. Hawkins was also taken to the hospital after he complained of having trouble breathing. Following the arrest, police said they executed a search warrant at the home on Weyl Street, where they found a loaded illegal handgun, several thousand dollars in cash and a large quantity of marijuana. Officers have not charged anyone with the drugs and gun recovered in the house. Hawkins pleaded not guilty and was ordered held on $25,000 cash bail. Webster shooting victim dies July 19, 2019 -- A Webster resident has died two days after being shot at his home in an early-morning incident. Police identified the victim of the shooting as 29-year-old Timothy Manley Jr. Webster Police were called to Hollywood Boulevard around 1:40 a.m. for the report of a man bleeding on the ground outside a home. Manley was taken to a hospital to be treated for at least one gunshot wound. Charges upgraded in Gates distracted driving case July 16, 2019 -- The 29-year-old woman accused of driving distracted before running over two young children on Lyell Avenue in Gates is facing more charges following further investigation by police. Latoya Palmo of Gates is charged with two counts of second-degree assault, a felony, and two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. She was allegedly distracted while driving in the 2300 block of Lyell Avenue on July 11 and struck a wagon with two children, ages 2 years and 10 months. The children were pinned underneath Palmo's car and dragged for 50 feet before coming to a stop. The reckless endangerment charges stem from the mechanical condition of the car, police said. Palmo was originally charged with reckless driving, a misdemeanor, and moving from a lane unsafely and uninspected motor vehicle, both violations. Palmo initially told Gates Police she was distracted by her two sons misbehaving in the back seat of her car, but Chief Jim VanBrederode said forensic analysis of her cellphone showed Palmo was taking a photograph and videotaping a "for rent" sign at the time of the accident. [ LOOK BACK AT OLDER STORIES ]