To help a friend with a project, I needed to head out to Morganville in Stafford to take some landscape photos, and Friday evening seemed like perfect weather for such an excursion. I also stopped by the Stafford Country Club.
Photos by Howard Owens.
Michael E. Loveless, 59, of Imperial Drive, Webster, is charged with grand larceny 4th and unauthorized use of a vehicle 3rd. Loveless is accused of stealing a gar that was stopped at a gas station in the City of Batavia on May 10 while the owner of the vehicle was inside the store. The vehicle was tracked using a GPS system and located in Lockport. Loveless was allegedly occupying the vehicle when it was located. He was taken into custody by Lockport PD and turned over to Batavia PD. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held until his next court appearance.
Jessica L. Holtz, 39, of Austin Street, Rochester, was arrested on two City Court bench warrants. The first bench warrant stems from a petit larceny charge at a local convenience store on Nov. 18, 2021. Holtz was originally arrested on Nov. 27, 2021. She was issued an appearance ticket. She was arrested again on Feb 2, 2022, after she allegedly failed to appear in court as ordered. She was arraigned and released. She was arrested gain on May 1, 2022. She was arraigned and released. She was arrested on Jan. 29. She was arrested on March 11. She was then arrested again on May 2 by Officer Megan Crosset and arraigned in City Court. On the second warrant, Holtz was arrested on Nov. 27, 2021, on a petit larceny charge for an alleged theft from a local church. She was arrested again on May 1, and again on Jan. 29, again on March 11, and on May 2. She was arraigned in City Court. She was ordered to pay 79 cents in restitution and jailed for two months.
Josia G. J. Culver, 18, of Tracy Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. Culver is accused of damaging an ATM screen at a bank location on Bank Street, Batavia, on May 5. He was arraigned and ordered held without bail pending his next court appearance.
Alisha A Soule, 26, of Route 237, Stafford, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Soule turned herself in to Batavia PD after being accused of contacting a person through a third party in violation of an order of protection. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Ashley Davis, 34, of Walden Creek Drive, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. While in custody, Davis allegedly kicked a police officer. Davis was issued an appearance ticket.
Corey A Brown, 37, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Brown is accused of hitting another person in the face at a residence on Ellicott Street on May 10. He was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance.
William H Smith Jr., 45, of Bank Street, Batavia, was arrested on a City Court bench warrant. Smith was originally arrested for DWI and other charges on Feb. 7, 2021, and released with traffic tickets. Smith is accused of failure to appear on the charges and was warranted on a warrant on Nov. 14, 2021. He was released and ordered to reappear at a later date. He allegedly failed to show up for court, and another warrant was issued. He was arrested on that warrant on May 10 by Officer Kevin Defelice. Smith was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.
Krista S. Kiblin, 32, of Mason Avenue, Rochester, was arrested on a City Court bench warrant. Kiblin was originally arrested on Jan. 27 on a charge of petit larceny after she allegedly stole merchandise from a business on East Main Street. Kiblin was issued an appearance ticket. After she allegedly failed to appear as ordered, a warrant was issued, and she was arrested on that warrant on May 3 by Officer Richard Messmer. Kiblin was arraigned. Her release status is unknown.
Before sending him to prison for 10 years, Judge Melissa Lightcap Cianfrini wondered at the criminal history of Arthur Brown, 45, of Le Roy, whom she observed is clearly intelligent, is well-spoken, and knows to advocate for himself.
Why, she wondered, why he keeps engaging in criminal activity when Brown could do so much more with his life.
Brown was sentenced on three separate criminal cases, the most notorious, an incident in September 2021 when he fled from a traffic stop after being seen driving erratically on Route 33 through Bergen and Stafford. Brown ran into a cornfield, and Deputy Kevin Quackenbush started a foot pursuit but stopped when he apparently saw Brown pull a handgun from his waistband. Quackenbush retreated, and then there was a loud bang.
Quackenbush reported to dispatch, "shots fired." This was the start of a several-hour, multi-department manhunt that eventually led to the arrest of Brown and the recovery of a handgun. The loud bangs turned out to be from a wildlife scare cannon.
Brown has consistently maintained that the gun officers found was not his, and on Friday, he accused of Quckenbush of not telling the whole truth about the incident, such as, he said, Brown's DNA wasn't on the gun nor were his fingerprints.
ADA Joseph Robinson noted after Brown's statement that the gun wasn't checked for fingerprints.
After initially indicating he intended to take the charges against him to a jury, in February, he entered guilty pleas to multiple charges, including second-degree attempted criminal possession of a weapon, a Class D violent offense, third-degree attempted criminal possession of a narcotic drug with intent to sell, a Class B felony, in connection with an arrest in January of this year in the City of Batavia, and to one count of violating the Sex Offender Registration Act, a Class E felony, for failing to register as a sex offender upon a change of address.
In arguing for the maximum possible sentence against Brown (the 10 years Cianfrini eventually imposed), Robinson said that Brown's long criminal history and habit of saying things that attempt to explain away or minimize his criminal activity made him a danger to society.
Robinson listed Brown's past criminal activity:
The plea Brown accepted, Robinson said, satisfied not only the pending charges already filed against Brown but also four ongoing drug dealing investigations being conducted by the Local Drug Task Force that had not yet led to charges.
Robinson said Brown seems to spend more time in prison and free.
"If he's not serving time on a conviction, he's out committing more crimes," Robison said.
Robinson noted that Brown hasn't accepted responsibility for possessing a gun in September, and he said that when Brown was accused of possessing a bag of cocaine, Brown told probation officers during his pre-sentence interview that officers found the bag in a bush and not on his person. That was an example, Robinson said, of the defendant minimizing his responsibility for his actions.
Another dealt with Brown's SORA violation. Brown said, according to Robinson, that he didn't think he needed to register a change of address because he merely moved from one room to another in a hotel complex.
Defense attorney Joseph Lobosco said his client did accept responsibility for his actions and suggested that Robinson was mischaracterizing Brown's interview with probation officers. He said the interview took hours, and the report didn't include direct quotes from Brown but paraphrases from officers written after the interview.
Brown said it was unfair of the ADA to he didn't accept responsibility for his crimes.
He said there was the DNA of three other people on the gun but not his. He also complained that a confidential informant used in the drug sales investigation was facing six criminal charges, which wasn't disclosed, he said.
"I take responsibility for what I've done, and I don't make excuses," Brown said. "But I don't take responsibility for what I didn't do."
Cianfrini said she hopes Brown will use his time in prison to better his life, to learn new skills, and reflect on the direction his life has taken.
"You could do something worthwhile with your life," she said.
On the SORA violation, Cianfrini sentenced him to 2 to 4 years in prison. On the attempted criminal possession of a weapon conviction, seven years in prison. On the criminal possession of a controlled substance conviction, 10 years in prison. All sentences are to be served concurrently.
Previously:
Multiple brush fires are reported in the woods in the area of 6364 Britt Road, Stafford.
Stafford Fire dispatched with mutual aid from South Byron and Le Roy.
Isaac D. Abrams, 22, of Alabama, is charged with robbery 2nd. Abrams was arrested by State Police in the Town of Alabama in connection with an incident reported at 10:02 p.m., March 10. He was ordered held on cash bail. No further details were released.
Matthew Jacob Zon, 41, of East Main Street, Byron, is charged with criminal contempt 1st and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Zon is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection at 9:17 a.m. on March 32 at a location in Byron. He was allegedly found in possession of a controlled substance at the time of his arrest by Deputy Travis DeMuth.
Scott Earl Clark, 62, of Main Road, Stafford, is charged with DWI, failure to obey a police officer, and driving left of pavement markings. Clark was stopped at 6:37 p.m., March 10 on Ford Road in Elba by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun. Clark was held in the Genesee County Jail pending arraignment.
Anthony Jason Gostomski, 35, of Fredro Street, Buffalo, is charged with DWI, DWI with a child in the car, and endangering the welfare of a child. Gostomski was stopped at 6:57 p.m. on April 3 on Route 20 in Darien by Deputy James Stack.
Andrew William Taylor, 35, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Taylor is accused of damaging a metal bed frame in the Genesee County Jail at 10:51 p.m. on April 3. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Thomas H. Hayes, 76, of Byron, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Hayes was stopped by State Police at 6:36 p.m. on April 4 in the Town of Byron. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Frank W. Landseadel, 63, of Attica, is charged with DWI and driving while impaired by drugs. Landseadel was stopped at 3:01 p.m. on April 3 by State Police in the Town of Alexander. He was released on an appearance ticket.
David E. Brege, 36, of Medina, is charged with criminal impersonation 2nd and identity theft 2nd. Brege was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 11:20 a.m., March 29, in the Town of Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket. No other information released.
A fire is reported in a garage attached to a house at 5968 Bartoff Road, Stafford.
There are propane tanks nearby.
All occupants out of the structure except for animals.
Stafford Fire along with South Byron, Byron, Bergen, City of Batavia, Le Roy, and Town of Batavia dispatched. Mercy EMS also dispatched.
UPDATE 3:22 p.m.: City Fire and South Byron are back in service.
Ronnel Simien Agee, Jr., 20, of Depew Street, Rochester, and Jaquel Rashod Gibson, 21, of Rochester, are charged with criminal possession of stolen property, reckless endangerment 1st, unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, 3rd, and obstructing governmental administration 2nd. Agee and Gibson are accused of fleeing from Deputy Kevin Quackenbush in a stolen 2022 Jeep Cherokee after Quackenbush attempted a traffic stop on Route 33 in Stafford at 8:16 p.m. on Feb. 16. The pursuit continued through Bergen, RIga, Chili, and into the Town of Le Roy, where Le Roy PD deployed spike strips. The vehicle stopped on Randal Road and Agee is accused of running from the vehicle on foot. He was taken into custody a short time later. Both men were held pending arraignment.
Brian Tyler Stachewicz, 27, of Porter Avenue, Batavia, is charged with offering a false instrument for filing 1st. Stachewicz is accused of providing false information on a pistol permit application filed on Aug. 22. He was arrested on Feb. 21 and released on an appearance ticket.
Michael John Vanbuskirk, 49, of Union Street, Le Roy, is charged with bail jumping 3rd. Vanbuskirk is accused of failure to appear in court as ordered on a felony charge and then not turning himself in within 30 days. Vanbuskirk was released on an appearance ticket.
Kevin Michael Monell, 31, of Horan Road, Medina, is charged with petit larceny. Monell is accused of stealing a carton of cigarettes from a smoke shop on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation on Feb. 23. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Andrea Michelle Kreutter, 33, of East Bethany Le Roy Road, Bethany, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and driver's view obstructed. Kreutter was arrested on Feb. 22 and accused of possessing illegal narcotics during a traffic stop by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun at 11:50 p.m. on May 13 on East Main Street Road, Batavia. She was ordered to appear in Town of Batavia Court on March 14.
Justine Denae Wood, 36, of Washington Avenue, Batavia, is charged with bail jumping 3rd. Wood is accused of failing to appear in Town of Stafford Court on a criminal matter on Jan. 23. She was arraigned and ordered held on $2,000 bail.
Jayne B. Liotto, 63, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and failure to keep right. Liotto was reportedly involved in a single-vehicle accident at 1:01 a.m. on Feb. 24 on Drake Street Road, Elba. The accident was investigated by Deputy Jeremiah Gechell. Liotto was released on an appearance ticket.
Hector Yaidal Hernandez, 22, of Ridgeway Avenue, Rochester, is charged with DWI and speeding. Hernandez was stopped 3:34 a.m. on Feb. 25 on Apple Tree Avenue in Bergen by Sgt. Mathew Clor. He was released on an appearance ticket.
This evening's sunset, submitted by Chris Crocker.
An accident involving a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle is reported at Ellicott Street Road and Transit in Stafford.
Unknown injuries.
Stafford Fire and Bethany Fire dispatched along with Mercy EMS.
UPDATE 5:01 p.m.: The passenger vehicle involved is reportedly a sedan. Minor injuries reported.
UPDATE 5:04 p.m.: Debris in the roadway. No travel lanes are blocked. Fire police are being asked to flag for one lane of traffic with firefighters are on scene.
A two-vehicle accident is reported in the area of 6506 East Bethany Le Roy Road, Stafford.
Injuries are reported.
Stafford Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.
UPDATE 7:44 a.m.: A second ambulance requested to the scene. Bethany Fire's ambulance dispatched.
UPDATE 7:49 a.m.: Traffic is blocked. Extrication required.
UPDATE 8:03 a.m.: One person transported to Strong Memorial Hospital.
UPDATE 8:21 a.m.: Road re-opened. Stafford back in service.
Tyrone Monroe Jr., 19, of Main Street, Attica, is charged with grand larceny 4th and five counts of falsifying business records 1st. Monroe is accused of stealing money and falsifying business records to try and conceal the crime while employed at Flying-J in Pembroke. He was arrested on Jan. 31 and issued an appearance ticket.
Keilah Lynee Hart, 27, of Woodrow Avenue, Rochester, is charged with introducing prison contraband 1st and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Hart is accused of possessing a controlled substance while being booked into the Genesee County Jail on an arrest warrant at 2:36 p.m. on Jan. 31. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Baillie Marie Schwab, 23, of Alexander Road, Attica, is charged with felony DWI, driving with operator's view obstructed, and speeding. Schwab was stopped on Jan. 29 at 1:55 a.m. on Oak Street, Batavia, by Deputy Jonathan Dimming. She was issued an appearance ticket and released to a third party.
Diane Marie McKay, 57, of Lightwood Lane, Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, and inadequate lights. McKay was stopped on Feb. 5 at 2:47 a.m. on Main Road, Stafford, by Deputy Zachary Hoy. She was issued an appearance ticket.
A brush fire three feet from a residence is reported at 5465 Horseshoe Lake Road, Stafford.
According to a caller, there was an attempt to start a campfire, and the bushes caught on fire.
Stafford Fire dispatched.
UPDATE 8:35 p.m.: It's a small fire down in a raven.
UPDATE 8:50 p.m.: The fire is out.
Raul S. Cruz is indicted on two counts of promoting prison contraband in the first degree, a Class D felony, and one count of promoting prison contraband in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Cruz is accused of possessing dangerous prison contraband, a shank, while incarcerated at the Genesee County Jail on Oct. 14. He is also accused of a long plastic housing for a Bic-type pen.
name redacted upon request is indicted on counts of aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a Class E felony, and DWI. Klauck is accused of driving a 2001 Toyota on July 31 in the Town of Stafford while holding a conditional license. She is accused of being intoxicated while driving.
A motor vehicle accident with possible serious injuries is reported at Buckley Road and Britt Road in Stafford.
There were four children in one vehicle.
Dispatchers are checking on the availability of Mercy Flight.
Stafford Fire dispatched.
UPDATE 8:50 p.m.: Two vehicles off the road with entrapment, according to a first responder.
UPDATE 8:51 p.m.: There are four children and four adults. At least one helicopter is required. Le Roy ambulance and fire and Byron ambulance requested to the scene.
UPDATE 8:54 p.m.: Mercy Flight #8 out of Buffalo is en route.
UPDATE 9:09 p.m.: A second helicopter is requested to the scene.
UPDATE 9:11 p.m.: Mercy Flight Central is not available due to weather. No second helicopter is available.
UPDATE 9:12 p.m.: All patients are extricated.
UPDATE 9:23 p.m.: Mercy Flight has landed.
UPDATE 9:34 p.m.: Mercy Flight is airborne, headed toward Rochester.
UPDATE 10:17 p.m.: Stafford assignment back in service. State Police is handling the investigation. Two people were seriously injured. One was transported by Mercy Flight to Strong, the other by ground ambulance (destination not confirmed). It appears an SUV t-boned a minivan, reports Alecia Kaus/Video News Service. Troopers refused to provide more information at the scene.
UPDATE 11:07 p.m.: State Police still on scene investigating. Fire police requested to the scene for traffic control.
UPDATE Dec. 15, Noon: The State Police have released the names of the drivers: Charles A. Johnson, 47, of Byron, and Danielle C. Wojtaszczyk, 34, of Le Roy. There were a total of seven people injured. No further information has been released.
Photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service
Eric R. Motquin, 40, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, tampering with physical evidence, and obstruction of governmental administration. Motquin was arrested following a traffic stop on Dec. 3 at 3:55 p.m. on Ellicott Street, Batavia. Motquin is accused of struggling with officers and attempting to destroy narcotics. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $1 bail. Motquin was also arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on an unrelated matter.
Tyshon L. Taylor, 25, is charged with attempted assault 3rd. Taylor is accused of an attempted assault on Oct. 13 at 11:39 on Oak Street, Batavia. Taylor, who is being held without bail on an attempted murder charge, was ordered held on minimum bail on this charge.
Jarrod K. Fotiathis, 27, no permanent address, is charged with grand larceny 4th, petit larceny, and conspiracy. Fotiathis and another person, unidentified in by police, are accused of stealing property on Nov. 16 at 4:09 a.m. at a location on Oak Street, Batavia. Fotiathis was issued an appearance ticket.
Alicia M Lyons, 43, of Batavia, is charged with trespass. Lyons is accused of trespassing at a location on Jackson Street, Batavia on Dec. 6 at 4:22 p.m. She was released on an appearance ticket.
Harry R. Silliman, 58, no permanent address, is charged with trespass. Silliman was charged following a report of a disturbance on Maple Street, Batavia, on Dec. 6 at 11:42 p.m. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Robyn D. Scott, 65, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. Scott was charged following a complaint on Dec. 6 at 7:46 a.m. of 'unreasonable noise' in the form of alarms causing an ongoing annoyance at a location on Walnut Street, Batavia. Scott was issued an appearance ticket.
Jean N. Pettit, 58, Batavia, is charged with DWI and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Pettit reportedly drove her vehicle on Dec. 5 at 6:01 p.m. and stopped at a residence on Vine Street, Batavia, and asked for assistance. A Batavia patrol officer responded and conducted a field sobriety test. Pettit was processed at Batavia PD headquarters and released on appearance tickets.
Parker Reid Davis, 29, of East Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Davis is accused of possession of a controlled substance during a probation home visit. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.
Andrew Anthony Crimes, 50, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal contempt 1st. On Dec. 8 at 10:49 p.m., Crimes reportedly entered Batavia Downs in violation of an order of protection. He is also accused of sending 111 text messages from Jan. 24 to Nov. 19 to a person in violation of an order of protection. He was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released.
Benito Anthony Gay, 34, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny, falsifying business records 2nd, criminal use of an access device 2nd, and unlawful possession of personal identification 3rd. Gay is accused of using another inmate's personal ID number to make phone calls.
Willie Albert Sabb, Jr., 48, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Sabb was allegedly found in possession of cocaine during a traffic stop on Dec. 9 at 10:26 p.m. on Clinton Street Road, Stafford, by Deputy Zachary Hoy.
Michael David McCracken, 42, of Aberdeen Street, Rochester, is charged with felony DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation 1st, and failure to signal. McCracken was stopped on Dec. 10 at 1:26 a.m. on Telephone Road, Pavilion, by Sgt. Mathew Clor.
Jeanna M. Hattaway, 35, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Hattaway is accused of stealing in the Town of Batavia on Dec. 6 at 4:19 p.m.. She was arrested by State Police and released on an appearance ticket. No further information released.
Carl E. Webber, 42, of Rochester, is charged with grand larceny 3rd. Webber was arrested by State Police in connection with a theft reported on July 14 at 5:37 p.m. in the Town of Batavia. He was released on an appearance ticket.
It's a lot of work, Tim Adams admits, to decorate the Red Osier Landmark Restaurant in Stafford. But it's worth it when he sees a kid's face light up to see all of the sparkling colors that are spread around the property.
"We had a customer last night that called the display 'magical,' which is pretty cool," Adams said during Saturday's free Community Christmas event.
He spends five or six weeks putting up the lights each year. He gets some help, but does most of the work himself. Christmas is his favorite time of year, he said.
"It's nice to see all the kids who enjoy and appreciate the lights, because there's really not a lot of places to go and see something like this," Adams said.
Adams and partner Steve Foster started the annual tradition seven years ago, about the same time the annual light display on Fargo Road was ending its long run as the county's premier Christmas light destination. Adams and Foster decided the best way to show off their holiday light display was to host a free Community Christmas, which they did this past weekend.
They offered a food trailer, carriage rides, a visit with Santa, and, of course, a chance to walk through and around the light displays provided for free to the community. The holiday tour at the Route 5 restaurant came with some help from the volunteers of Stafford Fire Department.
"We wanted to do something nice for Stafford and our local communities," Adams said.
The tradition actually began about a month before the official season of Santa Claus, Foster said.
"I think what made it right for us, and it happens every year, is on Thanksgiving, we weren't having Thanksgiving dinner until later, and we were out doing Christmas lights, and a van full of kids came through and said, 'Merry Christmas. We love your Christmas lights.' That's why we do it," Foster said.
Red Osier is also once again collecting holiday-time donations. This year the donations are going to Toys for Tots, Western New York Heroes, Little Tots, and the community pantry at St. James Episcopal Church.
Photos by Howard Owens.
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