Le Roy

A former Batavia resident who has had a few run-ins with the law the past couple of years is back in jail, this time with bail set at $15,000.

Robert J. Eppolito Jr., 29, of 61 Church St., Apt. #2, Le Roy, is being charged with one count of assault, 2nd.

Last night, Le Roy Police responded to multiple calls about a disturbance in the area of Bacon and Lake streets.

Eppolito is accused of striking another person several times on the head and face with his fists, knocking the victim to the ground and then kicking the victim in the face with his foot.

The victim reportedly suffered a possible eye socket fracture.

In September, 2009, Eppolito was accused of having sex in public with a woman and in a separate incident of slamming another woman against a wall.

Eppolito lived in Oakfield at the time.

In June, 2010, Eppolito was accused of endangering the welfare of a child and harassment, 2nd, while a resident on Maple Street, Batavia.

This past Monday, law enforcement officials were heard on the scanner chatting about Eppolito being released from jail that day.

If you've never thought of Frost Ridge Campground in Le Roy as a great place to see live music, it might be time to change your perception.

Last summer, one of several live shows in the open-air music venue was Confederate Railroad.

On Sept. 23, country music superstar Marty Stuart -- a multi-talented, five-time Grammy Award winner -- and his Fabulous Superlatives will stop at Frost Ridge for a show that already has people from all over the Northeast requesting tickets.

"Each year we do this it just seems to get bigger and now we're really trying to grow it," said David Luetticke, who bought the campground in 2008 with his brother Greg.

Live music shows started with local bands a few years ago, which helped the brothers meet Brian Chase, who was able to bring in several regionally popular bands and he was also able to help them book W.C. Edgar, a former sideman for Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson.

The Edgar connection led to the hit-making country band Confederate Railroad getting booked at Frost Ridge last June.

The booking agent for Confederate Railroad also represents Marty Stuart, so when it turned out that Stuart would be passing through Western New York, the agent called David and Greg to check on the availability of a tour date.

After the show was booked, word spread fast among Stuart's fans. VIP seating was sold out before the tickets were even printed and there's only six premium seats left. The first ticket sold went to a fan from Germany.

The brothers -- fellow refugees from Southern California -- have been slowly making improvements to Frost Ridge, adding more recreation programs and reconfiguring the park. They're pretty proud of this music venue -- they call it "Jam at Frost Ridge" -- that's coming to fruition on their secluded and rustic property.

"It has amazing acoustics," Greg said. "Every sound engineer that comes through here says the acoustics are amazing. Anywhere you go on the hill, it doesn't lose the sound at all."

Aaron Tippin has already been booked for next June and the brothers' hope to add more big name acts to the lineup.

Opening for Stuart will be Bush Hogs and Closing Times. Gates will open at 3 p.m. and the music starts at 4:30. Frost Ridge is located at 8101 Conlon Road.

Ruby Shooz will play Frost Ridge on Sept. 17.

Tickets can be purchased online with no service charge at frostridge.com.

Linda Jean Desnatis, 42, Main Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of DWI with a child passenger under age 16, DWI, driving with a BAC of .10 or greater and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Following a complaint of a possible drunken driver, Desnatis's car was stopped at 7:45 p.m., Saturday, on West Main Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Graff.

Francis T. Lacko, 29, of Johnstown, Pa., is accused of being a fugitive from justice. Lacko was arrested in Le Roy on Friday. Lacko was stopped in the Village of Le Roy after police received reports of a suspicious person going door-to-door selling magazines without a permit. Upon investigation, police found outstanding warrants for Lacko from three different states, including Pennsylvania. Among the charges faced by Lacko is fraud. Lacko was jailed without bail.

Paul Konieczny, 47, of 144 Harvester Ave., Batavia, is charged with DWI and three counts of failure to keep right. Konieczny was involved in a motor-vehicle accident at 9:20 p.m., Friday. He is accused of striking a street sign and two parked cars. The vehicles reportedly sustained significant damage. Konieczny reportedly suffered cuts on his face and was transported to UMMC by Mercy EMS.

Thomas Tyrone Gantt, 54, of Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester, was arrested at 8:04 p.m., Friday, on Clinton Street Road, Batavia, on a bench warrant out of Town of Gates Court. Gantt is accused of petit larceny.

Kerry Michael Simpson, 49, of Getman Road, Alden, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving left of pavement markings in a no-passing zone and speeding. Simpson was stopped at 1:33 a.m., Saturday, on Erie Street, Darien, by Deputy Jason Saile.

Thomas Z. Wilson, 19, Michael A. Albini, 19, and Patrick W. Moran, 18, all of 113 S. Swan St., Batavia, are all charged with criminal nuisance and unlawful possession of alcohol under age 21. Wilson, Albini and Moran were arrested after allegedly hosting an underage drinking party at 12:22 a.m., Saturday.

Edward M. Davis Jr., 46, of 23 Oak St., lower, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass. Davis is accused of remaining unlawfully in the apartment of a female acquaintance.

Latoya D. Jackson, 25, of 112 State St., lower, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Jackson is accused of shoplifting $12.50 in merchandise from the Dollar Store on East Main Street.

A 17-year-old resident of State Street is charged with disorderly conduct. The youth is accused of shouting obscenities while attending a football game at Vendetta Stadium at 9:45 p.m., Friday.

Volunteers from at least four fire companies -- I saw Le Roy, Batavia, Stafford and South Byron while I was there -- were on hand Sunday at The Home Depot to raise a flag in honor of the 9/11 victims and give community members a chance to meet with local volunteers and learn about fire safety. Children could tour the firetrucks and receive hats and coloring books.

Press release:

At approximately 12:30 p.m. today, the Le Roy Police Department received a report of an unsupervised/suspicious duffle bag located near the U.S. Post Office on Main Street.

During the investigation, Main Street (between Bank and Wolcott streets) was closed for a short time while bomb squads from the New York State Police and the Rochester Office of the FBI responded and determined that the item was non-hazardous.

Main Street was reopened and no charges are pending. The Le Roy Fire Department assisted with traffic control during the incident.

The 2011-2012 school year has started. It is September 8 and the community pool has gone another summer without being opened. What makes this September 8 different from last September 8, though, is that there has been action taken.

In July at a very well attended open meeting, local attorney Mike Welsh made a proposal to the Le Roy Village Board to fix the pool with donations (thank you to the Giambrones) and volunteer labor. The village board in turn voted 4-1 to rescind the previous official closing of the pool and then in another vote of 4-1 made the pool and its buildings surplus, freeing them to be sold to an entity for one dollar and pledging $11,000 per year to maintain the pool.

The problem is that there has not been an entity willing to buy the pool, nor was there one at the time of the vote. A petition was also presented to the board by a concerned citizen signed by concerned citizens who pledged to fund raise and keep the pool going. In addition, the village board voted to create a pool committee to explore all of the options and try to get some answers to questions that have been asked. To date this committee has not been formed, perhaps because of the potential outlined below.

The last word that I have received indicates that the same group of concerned citizens who has been working with Mike Welsh will present an option to the Le Roy Town Council this evening. It involves the town taking over the pool with the support of the proposal made to the village board and the money the village board has pledged.

This is, of course, one of the options suggested in comments to my previous blog about the pool.

As I promised during the same discussion, I have found out more information about a referendum. The village could attach a referendum to the March 2012 public vote for little cost, whereas if we were to hold a separate referendum it would cost us about $20,000. Yes, there are town and county elections in November, but as they are not village elections, the village would have to pay to hold a referendum.

The problem is that March is a little too late to get it open for next summer. Also, I learned that a referendum is NOT binding, though it would show what the voting public wants.

I am writing today’s blog to update everyone who is interested in the pool. The Le Roy Town Council meeting takes place tonight at 7 (Thursday, Sept. 8). The pool is not a dead issue, unless you want it to be. I hope to see you there.

A Facebook group has been created to support the family of Andrea Lynn Mangefrida, the 3-year-old Le Roy girl who drowned Saturday at a residence in Alexander.

Nearly 120 people have joined the group so far to express their sympathies to the Mangefrida family. There's also a PayPal donation link on the site.

M. Gary Guiste appears to have formed the group and writes, "This group is set up for the sole purpose of assisting the Andrea Lynn Mangefrida family in easing the financial burdens of medical costs and the financial burdens associated with the tragic loss of Andrea Mangefrida."

Guiste's note indicates that Andrea was an autistic child.

In an unfortunate accident that is the #1 cause of death in autistics, Andrea was taken from her family too prematurely. As a group, we want nothing more to have her back safe in her family's arms.

As a community of friends and families of police/law enforcement, EMS and fire professionals we stand ready to help the Mangefrida family with anything we can do.

Benjamin Gove Evans, 22, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Evans is accused of shoplifting at Kmart in April.

Kristen L. Brightenfield, 18, of 6559 Main Road, Stafford, is charged with petit larceny. Brightenfield is accused of stealing a box of hair dye from Tops Market during the early morning hours of Wednesday.

Micaheal J. Elmore, 20, of Sumner Road, Darien, is charged with two counts of petit larceny. Elmore was arrested by the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office following an investigation into thefts in Orangeville. Elmore was identified as the suspect with the help of a pawnshop in Batavia. Another piece of stolen property was recovered in the Village of Attica.

Diane E. Winger, 46, of 329 Eva Road, Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, is charged with driving while ability impaired and failure to keep right. Winger was stopped at 11:43 p.m., Sunday, on Snipery Road in Darien by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

A 3-year-old Village of Le Roy girl died Saturday evening after being found unresponsive in the pool of a relative's house on Broadway Road in Alexander.

Alexander fire and Darien fire and ambulance responded to the scene at 7:09 p.m. as friends and family members performed CPR on the child.

Darien ambulance transported the girl, Andrea L. Mangefrida, to UMMC. She was then flown by Mercy Flight to Women and Children's Hospital in Buffalo.

Andrea was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m., Sunday.

The girl's parents are Philip and Christina Mangefrida, Village of Le Roy.

The Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate the drowning.

Alicia M. Lyons, 31, of 17 1/2 Central Ave., Batavia, is  charged with criminal mischief, 3rd. Lyons was allegedly observed scratching the paint of a vehicle parked off of Central Avenue. Lyons was taken into custody by Officer Marc Lawrence.

Timothy Garrick Fitzgerald, 45, of Windsor Drive, North Tonowanda, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to signal lane change and moving from lane unsafely. Fitzgerald was stopped at 9:53 p.m., Friday, in the area of 4016 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Graff.

Sarah White Gilmartin, 35, of Norwalk Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, dazzling headlights and no/insufficient tail lamps. Gilmartin was stopped at 2:10 a.m., Aug. 27, on Main Road, Pembroke, by Deputy James Diehl.

Russell R. Miles, 43, of 12 Lake St., Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt. Miles was arrested following a report of a disturbance at 12 Lake St. Miles was allegedly involved in the disturbance with a person who was the subject of a stay-away court order. Miles was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Brett A. Simcick, 27, of Keeney Road, Le Roy, is charged with felony DWI. Simcick was stopped by Le Roy Police in the early morning hours Saturday for allegedly failing to stop for a stop sign on Hilltop Drive, Village of Le Roy. Simcick was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Matthew Alvin Johnson, 28, of Prestige Crossing Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, unlawful possession of marijuana and no plate lamps. Johnson was stopped at 1:46 a.m., Sunday, on Seven Springs Road, Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

A possible vehicle fire is reported on the westbound Thruway near mile marker 384.0. Le Roy Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. The vehicle reportedly went off the roadway and then began to smell like something was burning inside.

Dispatch advises that the accident happened awhile ago and now the driver is complaining of pain.

UPDATE 7:39 p.m.: The Le Roy chief put his units back in service, since apparently there was no fire.

UPDATE 7:52 p.m.: Mercy medics are headed to UMMC with the driver.

Raymond S. Woeller, 51, of 66 Lake St., Apt. 2, Le Roy, is charged with possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, and grand larceny, 4th. Woeller is accused of forging a friend's signature and withdrawing money from that person's bank account. Woeller was picked up at 11:26 p.m., Wednesday, on a warrant out of Batavia City Court. He was jailed without bail.

A 16-year-old of Mechanic Street, Byron, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. The youth allegedly ran away from a foster home with two juvenile females.  The youth was jailed on $250 bail.

A 16-year-old of Spencer Court, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of stealing $52.58 worth of merchandise from Kmart.

Russell Ray Miles, 43, of East Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Miles is accused of pushing another person during an argument in the parking lot of the Le Roy Country Club. The incident was reported at 8:11 p.m., Wednesday.

Kayla L. Rapone, 20, of 24 Holland Ave., Batavia, is charged with person under 21 purchasing alcohol. Rapone is accused of using a fake ID to purchase beer at a local store.

Kurt H. Hawkins, 18, of 3 Tracy Ave., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Hawkins is accused of punching another person in the face.

There is a reported fight, both verbal and physical, on Church Street in Le Roy near the footbridge.

One subject may need medical attention.

It is unclear how many subjects were involved, though it appears the fight is over.

Police officer on scene reports, "There's a bunch of people here on the footbridge."

Le Roy Police have arrested a man who reported that he was robbed and that a suspect was chasing him with a gun.

The man later admitted that he fabricated the story.

Charged with falsely reporting an incident, 3rd, was Donald J. Pettit, 27, of Friendship.

Pettit allegedly called 9-1-1 in the early morning hours of Sunday and made the report.

He was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court and released on an appearance ticket.

James R. Straub, 37, of Stoneham, Mass., is charged with DWI and refusal to take a breath test. Straub is accused of driving a golf cart on a public road while under the influence of alcohol. Witnesses contacted dispatch at 8:40 p.m. Sunday to report that a man in a "clown suit" (as the photo shows, more like a wild golf outfit) had taken off in a cart owned by Terry Hills and was heading toward the City of Batavia on Clinton Street Road. Straub was eventually located at a residence in the city where he was taken into custody by Deputy Bradley Mazur. Straub was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and committed to the Genesee County Jail without bail. Straub is reportedly out on $500. Batavia PD assisted in the investigation.

Douglas Brian Uberty, 39, of South Street Road, Le Roy, is charged with two counts of disorderly conduct. Uberty was taken into custody by Deputy James Diehl following an investigation into reports of a man in the Target store at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 17, attempting to look up the shorts and skirts of women in the store. Uberty is also accused of peeping over the wall of a fitting room in the women's department.

Shawn Dowain Phillips, 18, of Bartlett Street, Rochester, is charged harassment as a violation. Phillips is accused of dragging a person outside and punching the person in the face. The incident was reported at 1:44 a.m., Sunday.

Rexine Evelyn Johnson, 45, of Seldon Road, Le Roy, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Johnson is accused of pushing a female friend twice.

Vincente Antonio Torres, 20, of Willowen Drive, Rochester, is charged with DWAI, speeding (63 mph in a 40 mph zone) and driving out of class. Torres was stopped at 2:48 a.m., Saturday, on Main Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Howard Carlson.

Ryan Andrew Grady, 20, of Pearl Street, Lancaster, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Grady was found to allegedly possess marijuana while in the parking lot at Darien Lake at 11 p.m., Aug. 7, by Deputy Brian Thompson. 

A 17-year-old of Black Street, Sloan, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. The youth was charged after allegedly being found with marijuana while in a car parked at Darien Lake Theme Park by Deputy Brian Thompson.

Paul Anthony Swartz, 36, of Route 20 A, Orchard Park, is charged with unlawful imprisonment, 2nd. Swartz was arrested in Darien on a warrant out of Tonawanda. Swartz was turned over to Town of Tonawanda Police.

Charnika Darshae Givens, 19, of Northumberland Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with petit larceny. Givens is accused of shoplifting from the gift shop at Darien Lake Theme Park at 5:30 p.m., Aug. 6.

A possibly sick or intoxicated man is reportedly staggering in the middle of the roadway, thereby creating a traffic hazard, near 110 Munson St. in Le Roy. He's walking toward Gilbert Street. Le Roy Police Department is responding.

UPDATE 9:02 p.m.: The subject is now on Gilbert Street and an officer is at the scene.

An explosion in a garage located at 7665 Swamp Road in Bergen has sparked a possible structure fire. The garage, which is attached to the house, is full of smoke. Bergen and Le Roy fire departments are responding along with Mercy medics.

UPDATE 3:47 p.m.: A second platoon of firefighters from the Town of Batavia is called to standby in its fire hall. National Grid is called to the scene. The Bergen fire chief has called for power saws and an infrared camera. Brockport is called to fill in at Bergen's hall.

UPDATE 4 p.m.: The homeowner asked about the status of the fire. The chief says "It doesn not appear to have made it into the house yet." An engine and more manpower from the Town of Batavia is requested to the scene.

UPDATE 6:52 p.m. (by Howard): The house is a total loss. The amount of items stored inside kept firefighters from entering the house and the attack was conducted strictly from the outside. While the fire is now smoldering with much of the house still standing, the only way, according to Chief Paul Cummings, to ensure the fire is completely out is to knock down the structure with a backhoe. That process started around 6 p.m. We'll have complete coverage later tonight. 

UPDATE 8:47 p.m.: Swamp Road is reopened.

Photo submitted by reader Doug Waite.

A fire that destroyed a barn on West Bergen Road, Le Roy, on Friday night, remains under investigation.

It was spotted by a neighbor just before 8:20 p.m., who alerted the owner, Brian Boneberg, who then called 9-1-1.

The blaze was small when it was fist spotted, but spread quickly.  

By the time Le Roy Chief Mike Sheflin arrived on scene, the barn was fully involved.

The structure was less than 100 feet from a house and Sheflin praised the volunteer crews who kept the flames from spreading.

"We had a fast response from our firefighters and we were able to control the fire quickly," Sheflin said.

Strong water flow from the nearby hydrants also helped the responding departments swiftly beat back the flames, Sheflin said.

No injuries were reported.

Besides Le Roy, responders included Pavilion and Caledonia. Stafford filled in at Le Roy's hall and York filled in at Pavilion's hall.

Le Roy Ambulance was also at the scene.

(Initial Report)

Photo below submitted by a reader.

A fully involved barn fire is reported in Le Roy at 8029 W. Bergen Road. All available Le Roy equipment is called in, including mutual assistance from Bergen and Pavilion fire departments. Le Roy medics are also en route.

A 16-gallon oxygen tank is reported to be inside, according to the homeowner.

UPDATE 8:25 p.m.: An engine from Churchville is called to fill in at Bergen's fire hall. Monroe County Water Authority is to be notified that some of their hydrants will be used in fighting the blaze.

UPDATE 8:29 p.m.: An engine from Stafford is called to fill in at Le Roy's fire hall.

UPDATE 8:43: A pumper truck from Caledonia is on scene, too, and fire police are mustering to handle nearby roadways.

UPDATE 11:52 p.m.: Le Roy Fire back in service.