batavia

    Jason Lang

It wasn't really an overdose that killed Jason Lang, said his father Rick, but Jason's five-year battle with the dragon of drug addiction came to an end about 6:30 p.m., Saturday, when the 33-year-old local businessman stuck a needle in his arm and shot who knows what into his bloodstream.

Until State Police investigators receive lab results or the Medical Examiner produces an autopsy report, we won't know what substance Jason Lang injected in the final minutes of his life.

"Whoever gave that to Jason, whoever sold that to Jason, murdered him," Rick Lang said. "They plain out murdered him. I want that in the paper. They killed my son."

Rick and Jason both returned to their house in Batavia about 6 p.m., Saturday, Rick said. They grabbed the mail, and each took their portion and Jason said he was going downstairs and would be right back up. Rick said he sorted through his mail, opened a couple of bills, and then a friend stopped by and they chatted for a few minutes, then Rick started cooking supper.

He heard what sounded like the toilet flushing a few times, or the water going off and on, so he called down to Jason, and there was no answer. He went down the stairs a bit, called again, no answer. He went down into the bathroom and Jason was slumped over the bathroom vanity.

"He already looked a little bit, not the right color," Rick said. "I grabbed him and I shook him. He was still warm. I said, 'Jason Jason,' and I tried to wake him. He didn't respond. So I cradled him under his arms and lowered to the floor. I could see it in his eyes. They were blank looking. I said, 'my God, Jason, you're gone.' You know that's what I thought right away, 'you're gone. Buddy, what did you do?' "

Rick stood up and called 9-1-1.

"I see a syringe laying in the sink with the cap more than three-fourths full," Rick said. "It was like maybe a smidgen (used). Even the investigator said, 'My God, he didn't get hardly anything into him.'"

For years, Jason Lang ran a successful cab company in Batavia, Batavia Cab. He thought he was doing pretty good for himself, so he decided to expand his business interests, so he opened a smoke shop and tattoo parlor, the Laughing Buddha, on Ellicott Street.

This was right about the time synthetic marijuana and another class of synthetic drugs, often known as bath salts, were hitting the market. The drugs fell into a legal gray area, where they weren't controlled substances, but might be considered analogs to hard drugs including methamphetamine and cocaine. 

Seeing a business opportunity, Lang started selling the compounds in his shop.

At that time, he said in an interview last August, he had never used hard drugs.

After the State Police raided his store, he said, the store closed down and he lost $200,000 in inventory. He said he became depressed and bath salts, such as Amped, were easy to get at a new store that opened at 400 Ellicott St., the 420 Emporium.

In the spring and summer of 2012, synthetic drugs were a big story in Batavia. There were multiple reports of users engaging in bizarre behavior while high on bath salts. Jason was one of the users making the news, not just in Batavia, but throughout the region. His paranoia led to false reports of gunshots at a local hotel, of confrontations with law enforcement, and tales he told to local reporters of government conspiracies against him.

The mess her son was in drove Nicole Lang and her supporters to stage protests outside the 420 Emporium, which was part of a Rochester chain that was eventually raided and shut down by federal authorities.

Those law enforcement actions seem to have come too late for Jason Lang.

He switched to heroin. 

To support his habit, he started shoplifting. He hit big chain stores. When he reached the point where he had been banned from all the stores in Genesee County, he branched out to Erie County, Orleans County, and Ontario County, in an effort to never get charged with anything more than a petit larceny.

It wasn't long though before he had run out of stores to hit in the neighboring counties, and desperate, he returned to Ontario County.

Rick said local authorities have told him the District Attorney and judges there are particularly tough on petty criminals, that they often sentence people to 90 days in jail for petit larceny.

Jason returned to stores where he was previously banned, stole merchandise, and was charged with felony burglaries. He was sentenced to more than three years in prison.

That's just wrong, Rick said. He pointed to court clerks who stole more than $100,000; attorneys who embezzled more than $75,000; an official in Le Roy who took tens of thousands of dollars from his organization.  

They all got off with probation, what Rick considers a "slap on the wrist."

Yet, Jason, whom Rick said never got away with more than $5,000 aggregate in all his thefts, was given a multiyear prison term.

The justice system, he said, isn't treating drug addiction for what it is, a disease, but it's the users -- not the dealers, he said, not the embezzlers -- who are getting the harshest sentences.

"These people (the embezzlers) are not sick," Rick said. "These people are mentally alert, have no illness and they know exactly what they're doing. You know, it's greed. The justice system is wrong in the way they handle these cases."

While Rick is unhappy with how a local parole officer handled his son's case, contributing, he thinks, to the difficulty of Jason's recovery, he has nothing but praise for the State Police and Sheriff's Office.

Both troopers and deputies have been to the Lang household a couple of times in recent months. The first time, after Jason overdosed on, probably, cocaine, and then again a few weeks ago when he was hallucinating on bath salts.

The troopers and deputies helped save Jason's life those times, and on Saturday, it was a trooper who took over CPR from Rick once he arrived on scene.

"The state troopers, they are very gentleman-like, very professional, and the deputies, too," Rick said. "Very professional."

Rick Lang knows his son was an addict and he struggled with his addiction. Both father and son knew how dangerous that was.

On Father's Day, Jason wrote in his diary, "A great Father's Day. Feeling very blessed. Life has thrown me a lot of curve balls and I've survived through many storms. I recently had another drug overdose. I shouldn't be alive. But somehow I am still here."

Rick doesn't want people to remember his son as the drug addict. He wants Jason to be remembered as a small businessman who cared about his community and cared about people.

"He had a heart of gold," Rick said. "He loved all types of people. He loved law enforcement. He respected law enforcement. He respected people that were down and out and he'd run to help them. Like I said before, when he had Batavia Cab, many times some of his employees were low-income people, didn't have anything, and he'd buy the Christmas gifts and give them to the parents as a gift to each other for Christmas. He was that kind of guy."

In prison, Jason came to the aid of a young black prisoner who was being bullied by a white supremacist gang member. 

"He (the gang member) told him to get on his knees and that's when Jason stepped in and said, 'hey, knock it off,'" Rick said. "'Leave him alone. You know he's scared to death and that he's only a kid.'"

The white supremacist accused Jason of not sufficiently loving his own race, of being an (expletive deleted) lover. Jason said he didn't care about race, but mostly he didn't believe in picking on people and hurting them.

When the prisoners were back in line to head back to their cells, the gang member stabbed Jason in the leg with a pencil, breaking it off in his leg. There was a tussle, and the gang member ended up getting hauled off by the guards.

Jason Lang will receive a Mass of Christian burial at Resurrection Parish, 18 Ellicott St., Batavia, at 9:30 a.m., Friday. Calling Hours are Thursday (full obituary).

His family announced on Facebook today that Grab-A-Cab, the new cab company Jason started after he was released from prison, is being shut down.

Rick is sure Jason didn't want to die. His addiction scared him. He had recently started attending church and was moving toward a deeper spiritual bond with Jesus, Rick said. He said he told Jason if he wanted to save himself from his addiction, he needed to turn to Jesus. He's convinced Jason was headed in that direction. He said that if Jason had known what was in that needle, whatever it was, he never would have shot up knowing it would kill him.

Jason loved his family, Rick said. He loved his son, Lathan. Rick, Jason, and Lathan had been enjoying the spring and summer together fishing.

"He was just a damn good guy," Rick said. "You know, the addiction, that didn't make him a bad guy. He was a very good father. He loved his kid and his kid loved him."

Rick said he was mainly willing to talk about his son's death because he hopes maybe it will save some other parent the heartbreak he's been through. Something has got to be done about the drug epidemic hitting hard both in Genesee County and nationally, he said, but maybe if people know the story of people like Jason, it will help.

It was only near the end of our conversation that Rick Lang started to tear up.

"I hope to get my life back trying to find happiness," Rick said. "It's hard to find happiness when you lose someone that close to your heart. I'm proud of my son. I want to put that in the paper. I'm proud of him. He was one of my best friends. Ever. Now I don't have him. So, I hope. I hope."

Below, a poem Jason Lang wrote about heroin and a copy of his Father's Day diary entry.

A former Batavia High School student, a 2000 graduate, who joined the Marines and then returned to Western New York to become a Rochester police officer, is home with his family tonight, recovering from a wound sustained from a gunshot near his face.

Jeremy Nash was driving when a gunshot came flying into an unmarked patrol car on North Street near Clifford Avenue. 

He served in the Iraq Freedom and Enduring Freedom operations, is an 11-year veteran of RPD, and the father of a baby girl.

(Video by our news partner, 13WHAM.)

With a Spanish language translator assisting him, a man who violently slashed a woman with a knife on Wood Street in Batavia in March entered guilty pleas in County Court today to charges of second-degree assault, attempted robbery, and attempted escape.

Reynoldo Diaz-Ruiz will be sentenced to five years in state prison on July 27 under terms of the plea deal he accepted.

Meanwhile, he is being held without bail. The Department of Homeland Security has also placed a detainer on Diaz-Ruiz, who is a Mexican citizen and may be in the country illegally. He faces possible deportation once his prison term is completed. 

Diaz-Ruiz was arrested in late March after Batavia police responded to 8 Wood St. for a physical domestic incident and found a female victim with a laceration to her neck.

In acknowledging his guilt, Diaz-Ruiz admitted that his attack could have caused death to another person and caused serious physical injury. 

After being located, Diaz-Ruiz resisted arrested and was subdued with a Taser. 

When he was taken to Batavia PD headquarters, he attempted to take the sidearm from the transporting officer.

Dwayne Pearsall, 26, a Batavia resident with no permanent address, entered a guilty plea to sexual abuse in the first degree and criminal sexual act in the second degree in County Court this morning.

Pearsall was scheduled to appear for an evidentiary hearing in advance of a potential trial but decided to enter a guilty plea.

He admitted to abusing a child under age 14 in 2012 and a child under age 11 in 2015.

Pearsall was arrested in April and charged then with second-degree attempted rape, and two counts each of criminal sexual act and sexual abuse.

The potential prison term for Pearsall is seven years followed by 10 years on parole.

(Via our news partner, WBTA)

Bailey A. Kennedy, 20, of 85 Wolcott St., Le Roy, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, unlawful possession of marijuana, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia. Bailey was stopped by Le Roy PD at 1:42 a.m. Sunday for an alleged traffic violation on Myrtle Street. During the stop, Kennedy was allegedly found in possession of 13 small baggies of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. Kennedy was jailed on $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond.

Timothy Fredrick Hughes, 55, of Burbank Drive, Orchard Park, is charged with DWI, refusal to take breath test, speeding, failure to signal, and unsafe passing. Hughes was stopped at 11 p.m. Sunday on Bennet Road, Darien, by Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

Nicholas Ryan Dorson, 30, of Reed Road, Olean, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Dorson is accused of driving drunk in the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center at 6:32 p.m. Sunday prior to the Zac Brown concert, when Dorson's vehicle struck another vehicle. Dorson allegedly registered a BAC of .13 percent.  The incident was investigated by Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Brian J. Hart, 33, of Lakeshore Road, Kent, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 percent or greater, and moved from lane unsafely. Hart was arrested after an investigation into a report of a vehicle off the roadway on Richley Road at 12:57 a.m. today by Deputy Howard Wilson.

Justin C. Holtfoth, 43, of South Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding. Holtfoth was stopped at 6:25 p.m. Friday on Lewiston Road, Alabama, by Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

Keith Adam Lowery, 47, of Clipnock Road, Bethany, is charged with assault, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th. Lowery is accused of kicking another person, breaking one of her ribs. He also allegedly through the victim's phone out of the trailer window when she wanted to call 9-1-1. Lowery was jailed without bail.

Carlene Victoria Santiago, 28, of Cherry Street, Batavia, is charged with falsifying business records, 1st, and petit larceny. Santiago is accused of making fraudulent gift cards at Walmart and using them at the store.

Timothy Micheal Weinstein, 45, of Alleghany Road, Darien, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Weinstein allegedly violated at stay away order by sending text messages to the protected party. He was jailed on $7,500 bail or $15,000 bond.

Tyler William Reeves, 19, of Main Road, Pembroke, is charged with petit larceny. Reeves allegedly stole property while at a residence in Pembroke. He is accused of stealing two camera lenses and a stereo with a total value of $475. He was jailed on $750 bail.

Top two photos are by Dan Kemp in Le Roy. Bottom photo by Frank Capuano in Batavia. 

Molly Ann Chatley, 20, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with aggravated harassment, 2nd. Chatley allegedly sent messages through Facebook to another person that were threatening in nature. 

Charlene Marie Poole, 46, of Donahue Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Poole is accused of shoplifting from Walmart. 

Mary Winifred McGowan, 49, of Terry Street, Byron, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and driving left of the pavement markings. McGowan was stopped at 8:17 p.m. Wednesday on Terry Street, Byron, by Deputy Ryan Delong. 

Qumane James Santiago, 18, of Main Road, Stafford, is charged with criminal trespass. Santiago was allegedly trespassing at a residence on Main Road, Stafford, at 8:38 p.m. Friday.  

Adam W. Hildebrant, 26, of Highland Park, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd. Hildebrant was allegedly found in possession of brass knuckles during a parole check.

A reader sent in this picture from this afternoon suggesting the cloud looked pretty ominous with a ball game scheduled. 

The Muckdogs did get the game underway, but it was later suspended and will be resumed on Sunday. 

Super solid classic Batavia home in superb condition! This home has been lovingly taken care of for many years and recently went through major upgrades within last five years, which include siding, windows, tear-off roof, electrical and insulation, and hardwired smoke detectors! Literally all the major components!

Spacious room sizes which include nice kitchen with cute breakfast nook and formal dining room and large enclosed front porch -- plenty of entertaining space. The woodwork in this home is untouched and beautiful and bonus hardwood floors under carpeting thru out home! This is a lot of bang for the buck and should be seen -- call for easy viewing! Call Lynn Bezon at Reliant Real Estate today or click here to view the complete listing.

Lisa Ann Scott always wanted to be a writer and decided to give it a shot when she was laid off from her job as a TV news anchor in 2008.

Her newest novel, “Back on the Map,” is about an 11-year-old orphan, Penny, who will do anything to keep her and her twin brother, Parker, together. They’ve been bounced from home to home and are running out of relatives to take them in. Penny believes that if she can get their town, New Hope in North Carolina, back on the map, they’ll finally stay in one place.

Scott first got her idea of the character Penny a couple years ago, before she began writing the story.

“For me, I walk around and the character sort of unfolds from me,” Scott said. “It just kinda spun into this story.”

The character feels real to Scott, who said she feels like she is going to meet Penny one day.

Scott lives in Batavia, but is originally from Marilla. Scott spends her time writing and voice acting, and has loved writing since her first creative writing assignment in second grade.

The first novel she wrote was “School of Charm,” which was published in 2014. Scott said she has lots of books in the works, with more ideas than time.

After Scott finished the novel, it took about half a year for revisions and about a year after that before it was published.

“I think it’s a better book thanks to my editor’s input,” Scott said.

From her book, Scott said she hopes people will see that everyone is deserving of love.

“It takes [Penny] a long time before she realizes that she can reach out and ask for help and ask for love,” Scott said.

This book would be good for parents and children to read together, Scott said.

“If you want your kids to read, you need to read in front of them,” Scott said.

There is nothing more satisfying than reading a book, Scott said.

“I hope that people who have maybe gotten away from [reading] take time and just pick up a book and remember how relaxing it is,” Scott said.  “Even though there’s access to all these amazing TV shows these days, a book is still a totally different experience.”

Scott will be doing a book signing and a wooden family tree workshop class at 6:30 p.m. on July 13 at Jade Pottery. Preregistration is required and can be done here. Any questions can be directed to 585-813-1836.

Press release:

Buxton Avenue in Batavia will have road closures between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. on June 26.

Verona Avenue in Batavia will have road closures between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. on June 27.

While work is being performed, the roadways will be closed to all through traffic. Local traffic will be permitted to and from their residence, but people should plan accordingly for delays.

All residents within the work areas are asked not to park on the roadway during the day.

This is weather-dependent work. If work is postponed it will progress the next workday.

Please, plan accordingly and contact the Bureau of Maintenance with any questions.

Thank you for your cooperation in advance.

Denielle Mancuso

A 39-year-old West Main Street woman was arrested on a Grand Jury indictment for allegedly distributing cocaine. 

Denielle Mancuso faces two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, and one count of criminal nuisance, 1st. 

She was jailed on $25,000 bail or $50,000 bond. 

Mancuso's arrest stems from an investigation by the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force. She is accused of supplying cocaine to an agent on two seperate occasions. 

The runway at the Genesee County Airport will be able to accommodate larger planes once the center portion is replaced.

The runway hasn’t been resurfaced since 1978, according to Tim Hens, the highway superintendent.

“It’s basically original to when they built the airport,” Hens said. “It’s actually a limiting factor on the size of the airplanes that we can bring into the airport right now.”

After the reconstruction, Hens said a medium-sized business jet will be able to land on the runway.

The 3,000-foot stretch that will be reconstructed is in between the extension that occurred in 2005 and the restoration in 2007. The pavement depth varies from five to nine inches, Hens said.

The reconstruction will be covered under 95 percent federal and state aid.

“This is very similar to other airport projects we’ve done,” Hens said.

Northeast Paving, in Lancaster, was the lowest bidder for the project, at just over $3.1 million.

C&S engineers provided a construction inspection contract, at a little over than $305,000.

Both bids are contingent on receiving the grant, which will likely be given in August, Hens said.

“They usually expect us to turn it around in five days,” Hens said.

Hens said the construction will be phased so there will always be a portion of the runway open.

“We’ve limited the actual shutdown,” Hens said. “There will a one-week period of time where we have to shut down the entire runway, but that will be during the night only.”

There will still be 2,000 feet of the runway available for use when the construction is going on, Hens said.

“If they do it right, we’re hoping we can get another 40 years out of the pavement,” Hens said. “So we won’t have to do it again, at least not in my lifespan.”

Photo submitted

At 6 months old, Halani Rolle isn't through with chemotherapy, but her grandmother said she's doing well.

“She looks good considering she has leukemia,” said Marian Massaro, a Batavia resident.

Halani was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on May 9. Massaro said it came as quite a shock, especially to Halani’s parents, with there being no history of leukemia in the family.

Massaro said Halani is in remission, but needs a second round of chemotherapy.

“She had the first round, which was 28 days,” Massaro said. “The doctors said she did all right first round.”

In addition to chemotherapy, Massaro said Halani needs shots in her legs due to a blood clot.

“Her immune system is shot,” Massaro said. “But she’s going to have to have another round of chemo.”

Her parents, Jason and Crystal Rolle, drive back and forth to Buffalo to see Halani, and take care of two other kids, Julian, 8, and Harlem, 5.

“It’s hard,” Massaro said. “They’ve missed a lot of school.”

Massaro said Jason and Crystal both had jobs, but are currently out of work, taking care of the children.

Their vehicle is unsafe to drive, Massaro said. They have been borrowing hers, in order to drive back and forth.

Massaro recently wrote to an area car dealership, with the hope of receiving a donation of a car.

“When you have no money coming in, no vehicle and a sick kid, there’s got to be somebody in this town that would help out and do something,” Massaro said.  

Those wishing to donate can do so on the current Go Fund Me page located here.

Massaro said she is not sure how to fundraise next.

"The problem is, fundraisers take a lot of work and a lot of people," Massaro said. "There just isn't a lot of people to do something like that."

Today was an exciting day for the Jackson Primary first-graders. It is moving up day. They received certificates of continuation from administrators during a ceremony in the Batavia High School auditorium in front of their fellow classmates and cheering families. The students will now move on to John Kennedy Intermediate School and graduate from high school in 2028.  

Think back to when you were in grade school. Would you have missed your principal if she retired? Would the thought of her leaving bring you to tears? Oh no, not to me. I would not have missed her at all.  But maybe that is because Diane Bonarigo was not my principal.

Some of the children of Jackson Primary did cry as they said goodbye to the only principal they have known. Principal Bonarigo is retiring after being a principal for 12 years.

The Children of Jackson primary chanted Principal Bonarigo’s name and sang a song in her honor at their last “Family” meeting of the year. The school staff also thanked Mrs Bonarigo in making Jackson Primary a special place and a family.

Judging by the reaction of the children she will surely be missed by those lucky enough to have been at her school.

Tesla Renee Plantiko, 25, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. It's alleged that on Feb. 1, at 9:50 a.m., at a location on West Main Street, Batavia, with an outside temperature in the low 20s, Plantiko allowed her two small children outside unsupervised with inadequate clothing. Plantiko was reportedly sleeping at the time.

Gregory Seppe, 59, of South Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with public intoxication. Seppe was charged after Officer Jason Davis responded to a complaint that Seppe was stumbling through yards and onto the street on South Swan at 2:40 p.m., Saturday. Davis reportedly observed Seppe stumbling through yards and bouncing off a telephone pole. Davis is a trained drug recognition expert and determined Seppe was allegedly impaired by drugs. Seppe was transported to UMMC and issued an appearance ticket on the charge.

Jamie L. Broadbent, 34, of East Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant. Broadbent was arrested following a crewfew check on her at her residence. She was jailed on $2,000 bail or $4,000 bond.

David T. Loucks, 37, of West Garden Road, Rochester, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, speeding, unlicensed operation, reckless driving, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Loucks was stopped at 6:20 p.m. Friday on Pearl Street, Batavia, by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Charles J. Rodriguez Sr., 40, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Rodriquez is accused of stealing $44.95 worth of merchandise from Dollar General. Rodriquez was arrested on a warrant, pled guilty and was sentenced to jail concurrent with a guilty plea to an unrelated charge of endangering the welfare of a child.

Heidi L. Harder, 42, of Montclaire Avenue, Batavia, is charged with kidnapping, 2nd, endangering the welfare of a child, and unlawful imprisonment, Harder is accused of taking a child of a relative, locking herself and the child in her apartment and refusing to return the child. The child was returned to a caretaker unharmed.

Jordan S. Thomas, 18, of Elm Street, Batavia, is charged with assault, 3rd. Thomas allegedly injured another person during a fight on Vine Street at 8:30 p.m., June 11.

Deborah S. Rodriguez, 49, of Farnsworth Avenue, Oakfield, was arrested on a warrant out of Batavia City Court for alleged failure to appear on a traffic violation.

Micheal J. Vanbuskirk, 43, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, operating without an ignition interlock device, and on a suspended registration. Vanbuskirk was stopped at 8:16 p.m. June 13 on Vine Street, Batavia, by Officer Chad Richards.

At 5:55 pm the line to get into Dwyer Stadium was out to the street and down the block. The gates to the park opened at 6 pm for the Muckdogs season opener. The fans were excited for the game and festivities to begin. I am sure they were not disappointed. 

The Auburn Doubledays scored first with a single run in the third. The Muckdogs answered that run with 4 of their own in the bottom of the 3^rd and were in control for the rest for the game. It was an action packed game with some good hits, a squeeze play and some impressive field work from this young team. The final score was Auburn 2 Batavia 8

John Kennedy Intermediate School 3^rd and 4^th graders sung the national anthem before the game with the Viet Nam War Veterans Color Guard presenting the Flag.

Western NY Skydiving put on a show by dropping in with the game ball. 

The final field preparation and practice are underway as the Batavia Muckdogs prepare for their home opener tonight against the Auburn Doubledays.Gates open at 6 p.m., game starts at 7:05.The weather for the opener looks great with a predicted 75 degrees and light wind; no rain is in the forcast.This should allow for Western NY Skydiving to parachute in with the ball for the first pitch.