Bethany

Friends of a BOCES teacher who lost her home in East Bethany to a fire this morning have set up a trust fund to help her. She lost all of her possessions and three pets.

Cassandra Carlsen, who works at East Bethany Presbyterian Church, notified us this afternoon that a trust fund is established at Five Star Bank for Louise Ward. Anybody can make a donation.

The 58-year-old fire victim has been a member of the church since May.

"She's a wonderful person and it's just a tragedy that she lost her home and her pets are gone," Carlsen said.

Ward and her late husband, Bruce, purchased the house at 5823 E. Bethany-Le Roy Road about three years ago. Bruce was diagnosed with cancer some time later and died.

Carlsen said that Ward has been very involved in the church and church members have quickly stepped forward to offer support.

Meanwhile, the official press release from the Sheriff's Office has been released.

As reported previously, the fire appears to have started with a wood stove and the house was a total loss.

The initial calls of fire came in from Steve Weaver and Louis M. Reeb, who were passing by. After seeing the flames coming from the rear, southwest corner of the house. Reeb immediately knocked on the doors and windows to alert any possible occupants, but got no response.

The house was insured through Tompkins Insurance Agency.

To donate, mail checks to: FIVE STAR BANK, 124 W. Main St., Le Roy, NY, 14482; Attention: Louise Ward Trust Fund.

UPDATE:  Photos added. The house was knocked down both as a safety precaution to prevent anybody from entering an unsafe strurcture and to help fight the fire. Crews were on scene about 4 p.m. to knock out a hot spot that flared up.

A house at 5823 E. Bethany-Le Roy Road, East Bethany, is reportedly on fire.

Callers report the house is fully involved.

East Bethany, Stafford and Alexender were dispatched on the first alarm. A second alarm is being initiated.

UPDATE 10 a.m. (on scene): The house appears to be a total loss even while firefighters continue to battle the blaze. The owner was not at home and has been contacted. She lived alone and said nobody else would have been in the house. The fire appears to have started in the area of a wood stove. The stairwell to the second floor was engulfed and firefighters were forced to leave the interior of the house. Without interior firefighters, it's become a much harder fire to fight.

UPDATE 10:22 a.m.: The owner of the home is Louise Ward, 58. She is on scene and confirmed with officials that no other people were in the house. There were, however, a dog and two cats inside.

UPDATE 12:06 p.m.: We left the scene about an hour ago, but spoke with Fire Coordinator Tim Yaeger before leaving. Yaeger confirmed that firefighters were inside for about 10 or 15 minutes before the integrity of the stairway was compromised. From that point on, the volunteers were required to fight the fire from the exterior only. He called the house a total loss. Yaeger anticipated it would be hours before the fire would be extinguished, and it may require bringing in heavy equipment to knock down parts of the structure. The dog and two cats were believed to have died in the fire. The fire appears to have started in the wood stove area. Volunteer fire departments from throughout the eastern part of Genesee County responded to the fire, including (but not limited to), Bethany, East Bethany, Pavilion, Alexander, Le Roy and Bergen.

UPDATE 12:23 p.m.

Mobile phone video submitted by a reader at the scene:

UPDATE 2:09 p.m.: It sounds like most of the remaining units are going back in service. Tim Yaeger and his staff are back in service.

More pictures after the jump (below the map):

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William G. Cummings, 59, of 9815 Lake St., Pavilion, is charged with menacing 2nd. Cummings was arrested at 2:58 a.m. Friday after allegedly threatening another man by brandishing a baseball bat.

Roy R. Bell, 29, of 283 Seneca Manor, Rochester, is charged with forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child. Bell is accused of inappropriate contact with a 16-year-old girl.

Woodrow C. Horseman, 33, of 3 Lewis Place, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Horseman is accused of stealing two 18-packs of beer from Tops.

Timothy E. Moon, 35, of 315 Bank St., Batavia, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI with a BAC of .18 or greater, inadequate headlamps, failure to notify DMV of an address change and having an open container. Officer Eric Bolles reportedly observed Moon operating a motor vehicle with inadequate headlights at 1:22 a.m. Sunday.

Jaclyn E. Spiegel, 23, of 147 Ross St., Batavia, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI with a BAC of .18 or greater and moving from lane unsafely. Spiegel was stopped by Officer Kevin Defelice at 1:38 Saturday morning for an alleged unsafe lane change on E. Main Street at Bank.

John Francis Biegas, 19, of 6496 Clinton St. Road, Stafford, is charged with criminal nuisance 2nd, unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of alcohol with intent to consume. Biegas is accused of hosting an underage drinking party at his home.

A 17-year-old girl from Batavia is charged with aggravated harassment 2nd. The youth reportedly contacted another person in Pembroke via MySpace several times after being told not to.

Gerald E. Buchinger, 60, of 5159 Ellicott St. Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, moving from lane unsafely and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Buchinger was identified as a suspect by Deputy James Diehl after a driver on Batavia Stafford Townload Road left the roadway and struck shrubs and trees and a residence.

A 17-year-old student of Pavilion School is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. During an invited canine sniff search of school grounds, the K9 alerted on a car in the parking lot. Upon investigation Deputy Brian Thompson allegedly found marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a realistic looking C02 pistol.

Ami Lou Blackmore, 48, of 30 Exchange St., Attica, is charged with DWI, felony aggravated DWI for driving with a BAC of .18 or greater and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Deputy Jason Saile, at 5:08 a.m. on Friday, investigated a report of trespass at 650 Bloomingdale Road in Alabama. Saile came into contact with Blackmore and arrested her for the alleged offenses.

Joshua C. Mciver, 22, of 130 3rd Ave., Apt. 18H, Brooklyn, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Mciver was arrested at 11:24 p.m. Thursday at College Village by Deputy Jason Saile.

Michael L. Milroy, 43, of Bethany, is charged with torture/injure/not feed an animal, menacing 2nd and reckless endangerment 1st. Milroy was arrested by State Police at 12:07 a.m. today at 5461 Mclernon Road, Bethany. No further details are available.

Brett W. Short, 23, of Stafford, is charged by State Police with endangering the welfare of a child. Short was arrested at 2:29 p.m. Saturday. The alleged incident occurred Dec. 23. No further details are available.

David G. Duignan, 43, of Batavia, is charged by State Police with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and failure to keep right. Duignan was stopped in Albion at 8:57 p.m. Friday.

Accidents reported in the State Police blotter:

8:26 p.m., Jan. 23, Bank Street Road, Batavia, one vehicle; Driver 1: Christopher J. Byers, 19, of Brockport. No injuries. No citations.

The attorney for an Oakfield man accused of burglary and larceny at Holland High Lift in Bethany withdrew a series of motions today and set his client's case for trial.

Unless a plea agreement is reached before Feb. 26, the case of Michael L. Jackson will go to trial April 19.

Jackson is accused of burglary 3rd, two counts of grand larceny 3rd, and two counts criminal mischief 2nd.

The case was set for a hearing today on Public Defender Gary Horton's motions to suppress Jackson's post arrest statements, but Horton withdrew those motions, according to Assistant District Attorney Will Zickl, and instead asked that a trial be scheduled.

For previous coverage, click here.

Jeffery Owen Coats, 45, of 10553 Bethany Center Road, Bethany, is charged with stalking 4th. Coats is accused to sending text messages to his ex-wife after State Police ordered him to stop texting her.

A 16-year-old from Batavia has been charged with menacing 2nd. The boy is accused of brandishing a large kitchen knife during a domestic dispute.

Gregory M. Brew, 24, of 4799 Linden Road, E. Bethany, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, operation on a conditional-use permit. Brew was arrested by Deputy Frank Bordonaro after it was determined he had allegedly been driving a car found at the edge of the road on Bethany Center Road at 2:30 a.m. yesterday.

Sath Paul Dhanda, 29, of 5458 Clapsaddle Road, Bethany, is charged with harassment, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. Dhanda was arrested Christmas Eve at 10:36 a.m. after Deputy James Diehl responded to a call of a reported disturbance at the Travel Lodge. Dhanda allegedly spit on someone. He also allegedly damaged a TV set at the hotel.

Shauna L. McDonough, 39, 504 West Center St., Beech Haven, N.J. is charged with DWI, aggravated driving with a BAC of .18 or greater and unlicensed operation. Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a single-car accident on Route 63 off Fargo Road. The car was reportedly well off the roadway. Sgt. Greg Walker investigated the accident and determined that McDonough was traveling at an unsafe speed and was allegedly driving drunk.

A 17-year-old girl from Batavia has been charged with petit larceny. She allegedly stole from her employer, Kmart.

Tammy J. Alexyn, 34, of 48 Longs Lane, Corfu, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and driving left of the pavement markings. Alexyn was stopped on Brown Road in the Town of Batavia by Deputy Jason Saile at 1:34 a.m. today.

Kristy L. Sherman, 23, of Bloomfield, has been charged by State Police with harassment. The alleged harassment took place in Le Roy Dec. 18 at 8:31 p.m. No further information available.

Patrick L. Gugliuzza, 30, of 94 Exchange St., Attica, is charged with DWI, criminal possession of a controlled substance and following too closely. Deputies were in the area of 104435 Route 98 in Alexander investigating a motor-vehicle accident. The deputies received a report of a minor property-damage accident on southbound Route 98 near the accident scene. Upon investigation of that accident, Deputy J.M. Graff concluded that Gugliuzza was allegedly driving while intoxicated. Further investigation allegedly revealed that Gugliuzza had a small quantity of heroin. His passenger, Brandon Eck, 29, of 51 Bunnel St., Attica, was also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument and unlawful possession marijuana.

Keith A. Finan, 44, of 10501 Bonnie Brae Drive, Darien, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving left of pavement markings in a no-passing zone. Finan was reportedly stopped on Bonnie Brae Drive in Darien on Friday. The investigation was conducted by Deputy Jason Saile.

William Daniel Nix, 48, of 55 Riverview Drive, Rochester, is charged with criminal mischief, harassment and disorderly conduct. Nix is accused of causing a disturbance at 48 Deli Express at 8204 Park Road. Nix was reportedly using foul language and was asked to leave. Nix allegedly continued to use foul language and got involved in a physical struggle with a clerk, tearing his shirt.

Ariana M. Busch, 19, of 10876 Bowen Road, Attica, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to dim headlights. Busch was arrested following a traffic stop on Route 20 in Darien at 2:25 a.m. on Saturday.

Dylan C. Miller, 21, of 3883 Eagle Harbor Road, Albion, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving an unregistered car and failure to yield right-of-way. Miller was stopped by Officer T.S. Mart on Oak Street at 2:18 a.m. on Saturday.

Brian L. Smith, 47, of 8655 Jones Road, Houston, Texas, is charged with DWI and driving with improper tail lamps. Smith was stopped by Officer Dan Coffey at 1:05 a.m. on Sunda. Smith was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Scott D. Kingdon, 43, of 6243 Sparks Road, Pavilion, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Kingdon was reportedly involved in a verbal argument with a friend. The friend called the Sheriff's Office and reported that Kingdon might be at her house. While Deputy Kevin McCarthy was checking the residence, Kingdon reportedly pulled into the driveway. McCarthy allegedly found Kingdon was driving while intoxicated.

Two teenagers, one from Alexander and another from Bethany, are charged with petit larceny for an alleged theft in Alexander. The original incident was reported to State Police on Sept. 15.

David H. Robinson, 45, of Corfu, and Amber M. Robinson, 40, of Batavia, are charged with identity theft. Amber is also charged with forgery of a public record. David and Amber were arrested by State Police at 3 p.m. on Thursday. No further information is available.

A blue pickup on Route 20 has reportedly hit a car, causing it to roll over, on Route 20 in Bethany.

The truck is reportedly eastbound on Route 20.

The car was reportedly rear-ended by the truck. The truck will have front-end damage.

The injuries are reported as minor.

Bethany Fire and Mercy EMS are responding.

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A 16-year-old girl from South Byron has been charged with disorderly conduct. She is accused of yelling obscenities from her front yard after being asked repeatedly to stop. She was jailed on $250 bail.

Tyler J. Henderson, 20, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under 21. Henderson was ticketed by State Police on Sumner Road in Darien.

A 16-year-old from Alexander is charged with trespass. The boy was arrested by State Police in East Bethany.

Michael L. Jackson -- who is charged with a count of burglary in the third degree, two counts of grand larceny in the third degree, and two counts criminal mischief in the second degree -- was back in Genesee County Superior Court this morning.

He appeared before Judge Robert Noonan, who set a hearing for his case at 10 a.m. on Nov. 18.

Jackson, who lives in Oakfield, is accused breaking into Holland High Lift, 10033 East Road, Bethany. He allegedly stole a 42-inch Viewsonic flatscreen television, a Samsung 22-inch flatscreen television and a Sony digital camera. He also allegedly stole a 2005 Ford Supercab 250.

Jackson also allegedly damaged an office window, a display case, light fixtures, drywall, a motorcycle, computer equipment and an overhead door. He also allegedly damaged the Ford truck. He was one of a group of people alleged to have committed the crimes, although no others have been arrested due to insufficient evidence.

He is also accused of tampering with a witness in the fourth degree after he allegedly went to the home of one of the witnesses and attempted to induce her not to testify before the Grand Jury.

On Sept. 3, Jackson posted a $10,000 bond and is now free awaiting trial.

Ryan Lee Krupp, 24, 13 Pringle Ave., Batavia (pictured), is charged with criminal possession of stolen property and unlawful possession of marijuana. These are additional charges stemming from his arrest Oct. 16, which involved an alleged escape and an alleged assault on a deputy. At the time of his arrest, Krupp was allegedly found in possession of a stolen credit card and marijuana. Krupp remains in custody without bail.

William Didir Gamble, 18, of 144 Leicestershire Road, Rochester, is charged with harassment. Gamble is accused of striking and threatening two roommates at College Village.

A 10-year-old boy in Pavilion has been charged with sexual abuse in the first degree and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem from a report filed with the State Police on Aug. 25.  The arrest was Sept. 11. It was in the State Police blotter today. The boy was released without bail. No further details are available.

Spencer T. Johns, 18, of Castile, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Johns was issued an appearance ticket by State Police after being arrested in the Town of Bethany at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. No further details are available.

Kenardo Roshay Fields, 19, of 7 Watson St., Batavia, is charged with trespass. Fields was reportedly banned from College Village and was found there yesterday at 11:38 p.m. hiding under a bed.

Arnold D. Jock, of Hogansberg, is charged with trespass, obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct/fighting. Jock was arrested by State Police at the Holiday Inn on Park Road, Town of Batavia, at 6:12 p.m. yesterday. No further details are available.

Joshua L. Baltz, 33, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Baltz was arrested by State Police in the Town of Batavia at 10:33 a.m. on Oct. 15. No further details available.

Jesse P. Boop, 20, of Avon, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Boop was arrested by State Police yesterday at 10:15 a.m. in the Town of Bethany. No further details are available.

Gary J. Dempsey, 42, of Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt and disorderly conduct. Dempsey was arrested by State Police in Le Roy at 11:11 a.m. yesterday. No further details are available.

James D. Henry, Jr., 54, of 8296 E. Main Road, Le Roy, is charged with a felony count of criminal possession of a forged instrument and a felony count of attempted grand larceny. Henry, a former Village of Le Roy employee, allegedly entered the village office on Monday possessing a forged doctor's prescription. It stated that Henry "would be out until further notice" in an attempt to gain sick leave compensation, which would have totaled more than $3,000. Henry was arraigned and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Robin L. Pirdy, 50, of 588 Route 98, Attica, is charged with DWI and aggravated DWI with a BAC of .08 or greater. Pirdy was reportedly found parked on the side of Molasses Hill Road in Bethany by Deputy Kevin McCarthy. Upon investigation, McCarthy determined that Pirdy had allegedly been driving while intoxicated.

Steven Robert Gorecki, 23, of 106 Tracey Ave., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Gorecki is accused of shoplifting from Target.

Willie A. Sabb, Jr., 35, of 19 Porter Ave., Apt. 2, Batavia, is charged with assault in the third degree, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment. Police picked up Sabb at his residence on warrants issued by City Court. The charges stem from three separate alleged incidents. No further details were released.

Five people were injured -- including all members of a family of four from Bear, Delaware -- in a two-vehicle accident on Route 20 in the Town of Bethany at 9:04 p.m. on Monday.

The accident was allegedly caused by a driver pulling onto Route 20 who failed to yield the right-of-way.

Taken to Strong Memorial Hospital was: Quratul-Ain Abbasi, 29; Mansoor H. Khan, 40; Azan M. Kahn, 4; and Mira Kahn, 6.

Abbasi, the driver of the second vehicle, suffered an abdomenal injury, as did 6-year-old Mira. Both Mansoor Kahn and 4-year-old Azan sustained facial injuries.

The driver of the first vehicle was identified as Steven W. Clouse II, 19, of 12479 Allen Road, Chaffee. He was cited for alleged failure to yield right-of-way.

Clouse was reportedly pulling onto Route 20 from West Bethany Road. After stopping, he reportedly proceeded onto Route 20 when his 2000 Buick sedan was struck by Abbasi's car, a 1999 Chevy SUV.

The SUV then traveled off the southeast corner of the intersection, struck a street sign and a telephone box. The SUV then overturned and came to rest off the roadway on the southeast corner of the intersection.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

George M. Hodges, 19, of 9 S. Lyon St., Batavia, and Daniel D. Williams, 20, of 20 Mill St., Batavia were both charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing governmental administration. Batavia Police officers were at an Oak Street residence assisting the Department of Social Services in an investigation when the suspects allegedly yelled profanities at the officers and confronted investigators and attempted to prevent them from speaking to the residents.

Randy Johnson, 21, of 10182 Brookville Road, Alexander, is charged with criminal mischief and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Johnson allegedly took a vehicle without permission of the owner, and when confronted by the owner, Johnson allegedly caused damage to the vehicle. The incident was investigated by Deputy Chad Minuto.

Richard Jordan Franz, 19, of 9898 Simonds Road, Corfu, and Michael Richard Bitter, 19, 3198 Pike Road, Alexander, are charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Franz and Bitter were arrested after deputies came to an unspecified residence to investigate a reported suspicious circumstance and allegedly found Franz and Bitter in possession of marijuana. The incident occurred at 1 a.m. Saturday.

Hal D. Philips, 58, of 11096 Molasses Hill Road, East Bethany, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI, refusal to submit to breath test, failure to keep right and operating with a suspended registration. Philips was stopped on Molasses Hill Road by Deputy Kevin McCarthy for alleged failure to keep right at 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday.

Han Bakker is following the case of Oakfield resident Michael L. Jackson with keen interest.

Jackson is accused of breaking into Holland High Lift, 10033 East Road, Bethany, and causing a great deal of property damage and stealing equipment and a truck.

Bakker owns Holland High Lift.

"We estimate (the alleged burglar) did about $60,000 in damage," Bakker said.

And according to Bakker, chief suspect Jackson wasn't working alone. One other possible suspect left a cell phone under a desk and two women were captured on video tape.

Bakker doesn't understand why the District Attorney's office isn't prosecuting the other suspects. He said he was told the D.A.'s office doesn't think there is enough evidence against the other three suspects to charge them.

The Batavian left a message this afternoon with an Assistant D.A. seeking comment.

The group of people, according to Bakker, broke into his office building on April 11 and trashed the place. They broke glass windows in doors, apparently to help them gain entry into other rooms, even though the doors were unlocked.

Apparently, they used their own bodies to break the window. Investigators, according to Bakker, found a good deal of blood in the building.

One of the reasons the D.A.'s office was apparently slow to seek an indictment against Jackson was investigators were awaiting the results of DNA tests from a Monroe County lab. No word on whether the lab results are in yet.

Jackson is accused of stealing a 2005 Ford Supercab 250. Bakker claims that Jackson drove the truck out on South Swan, striking a tree before trying to run it into the creek. 

Jackson is currently out of jail on $10,000 bond.

Bakker is concerned that Jackson, who reportedly left the state after the investigation into the break-in began, will not consider the bond sufficient inducement to stay in the area while awaiting trial.

"I doubt will ever get repaid," Bakker said.

Michael L. Jackson, accused of burglary and grand larceny, got a "get out of jail" free card when the District Attorney's office did not seek a grand jury indictment within the prescribed 45 days.

Last week, an indictment was handed down and Jackson was taken into custody again. On Sept. 3, Jackson posted a $10,000 bond and is now free awaiting trial.

According to the indictment, Jackson is charged with a count of burglary in the third degree, two counts of grand larceny in the third degree, and two counts criminal mischief in the second degree.

A new charge also pops up: tampering with a witness in the fourth degree. Jackson allegedly went to the home of one of the witnesses and attempted to induce her not to testify before the Grand Jury.

Jackson, now an Oakfield resident, is accused breaking into Holland High Lift, 10033 East Road, Bethany. He allegedly stole a 42-inch Viewsonic flatscreen television, a Samsung 22-inch flatscreen television and a Sony digital camera. He also allegedly stole a 2005 Ford Supercab 250. Jackson also allegedly damaged an office window, a display case, light fixtures, drywall, a motorcycle, computer equipment and an overhead door. He also allegedly damaged the Ford truck.

Gregory M. Brew, 24, of 4799 Linden Road, East Bethany, is charged with DWI and unlicensed operationof a vehicle. Brew was arrested at Strong Memorial Hospital following a rollover accident on East Road at 10:38 p.m. on Wednesday. No other vehicles were involved in the accident. Deputy Matt Butler investigated the incident.

Tyrell T. Harris, 19, of 114 W. Englewood Ave., Teaneck, N.J., and William P. Ponder, 19, of 3905 Carpenter Ave., Bronx, are charged with trespass. Harris and Ponder were allegedly involved in an incident at College Village and told to leave. After Sheriff's deputies left College Village, Harris and Ponder allegedly returned. They were jailed on $250 bail each.

William Grey Neff, 35, of 1210 S. Main St., Medina, is charged with forcible touching. Neff is accused of forcibly touching a woman.

Kelly A. Decker, 23, of 127 Liberty St., upper, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Decker is accused of stealing $200 from July 23 to Aug. 20 while employed as a cashier at Kmart.

Dustin R. Benham, 20, of Darien, is charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Benham was arrested by State Police in the Town of Batavia. He was held without bail. No other details were provided.