In the early morning of August 5th, an alarming event took place near the Oak Street Bridge, on the edge of Yonkers and Mount Vernon’s jurisdictional umbra. Reports indicated the presence of an unattended corpse found in unsettling circumstances. The initial tip-off to authorities cited a conflagration in the vicinity of the bridge which prompted an immediate reaction from the Westchester County Department of Public Safety and the Mount Vernon Fire Department.
These first responders rushed to the locale aiming to vanquish the reported fire. Upon managing the blaze, a chilling discovery was made – an insensible body lay on the nearby pedestrian area. This shocking revelation led to an immediate request for police intervention. Field officers from the Yonkers Police Department arrived swiftly to the scene to further investigate.
The preliminary findings at the scene suggested that the body was curiously placed inside a shopping trolley and then ironically ignited. Since the incident unfolded in proximity to Yonkers, the Yonkers Police were given the responsibility to spearhead the ensuing investigation. Detectives from their Major Case Squad and the Crime Scene Unit actively engaged in scene processing, making the most out of the daylight.
While early news outlets circulated the notion that the body was disfigured, this is yet to be validated due to the extensive damage the fire inflicted. Deciphering the exact cause of death and potential injuries is, however, reserved for the Westchester County Medical Examiner’s Office. They will carry out these duties in synchrony with ongoing police investigations to piece together the tragic story behind this sad incident.
Meanwhile, in Toms River, Mayor Rodrick has made an announcement that could reshape the urban landscape of the downtown village area. An agreement the previous administration made under a questionable $1 deal with a North Jersey development firm intending to erect a ten-story twin tower residential skyscraper has been terminated. According to Mayor Rodrick, the project fell through as the developer defaulted on its responsibilities both to the township and the project.
In a public statement, Mayor Rodrick clarified: ‘Our administration has recently terminated the High-Rise Development Project Downtown originally planned for the site of the old Red Roof Inn. We initiated legal action against the developer back in May due to their continual failure to meet critical deadlines.’
Capodagli Properties, the real estate company behind the towers, had failed to secure their permits as per the staggering deadlines set in the agreement. Apparently, this was not the first instance of them delaying the process. ‘They previously failed to meet all their deadlines last year, yet, instead of penalizing them, Mayor Hill simply extended their deadlines by another year,’ Mayor Rodrick stated.
According to the mayor, this leniency did not lead to better commitment from the developer. On failing to meet the extended deadlines again this year, the developer was placed into default by the new administration. ‘Over the past 90 days, we did not receive any intent from the developer to rectify their default,’ added Mayor Rodrick.
On July 1st, another default was noted when the developer could not substantiate their financial arrangement in place for the project. Mayor Rodrick said, ‘So, we terminated the agreement!’ According to the contract, the property initially discarded for just $1, will now return to the township after 60 days.
One more tragic incident unfolded in Nassau County where a Freeport resident, Jorge Bonilla Gutierrez, was sentenced to a prison term ranging from six to twelve years. He was found guilty of causing a fatal accident as a result of drunken driving, which took the life of a mere six-year-old in August 2023. On June 5, 2024, Gutierrez had pleaded guilty to several charges including Manslaughter in the Second Degree and Driving While Intoxicated.
The accident took place early on August 7, 2023, when Gutierrez, imbibed with alcohol, carelessly sped past a red light on Hempstead Turnpike in West Hempstead. He was behind the wheel of a Nissan Pathfinder when he collided with a Toyota Corolla. The impact was harrowing, forcing the Corolla off the path and directly into a tree.
Katerine Vanegas Hernandez, a passenger in the Corolla, sustained catastrophic injuries and sadly passed away just two days before her seventh birthday. The crash also inflicted serious injuries on Katerine’s younger brother and their mother. Gutierrez was apprehended near the scene, with numerous empty beer cans found in and around his vehicle, insinuating his negligence. His alcohol blood level test result further confirmed that it was beyond double the legal limit.
DA Donnelly, during the sentencing, expressed her deepest sympathies to the affected family. She stressed on the preventability of this heart-wrenching disaster and the larger societal implications of drunken driving.