notify

A structure fire is reported at 3899 Ridge Road, Elba.

A second alarm sounded.

First responders report a working structure fire.

Elba Fire, Oakfield and Barre dispatched.

UPDATE 1:53 a.m.: It's reportedly an abandoned house. Town of Batavia requested to the scene.

UPDATE 4:11 a.m.: Video and photos added. The structure was vacant. A neighbor called in the fire. It was difficult to fight because it was a dead-end road making it harder to get tankers in and out of the area. 

UPDATE 4:14 a.m.: Elba command informs dispatch that the fire is pretty much out, "just working on some hot spots."

 Michelle Condidorio      Shane Anthony       Robert Pragle       Tyler Powers 

Community tips, following news reports of larcenies in the Robbins Road area of Le Roy, as well as a tip from two of the suspects themselves, helped Le Roy PD officers piece together a case against four Le Roy residents in a scheme to allegedly steal personal property and sell the items for drug money.

Taken into custody were Tyler M. Powers, Robert J. Pragle, Shane C. Anthony, and Michelle A. Condidorio.

A series of larcenies was first reported Wednesday, with more than $20,000 in private property reportedly stolen. Le Roy PD provided a surveillance photo of a suspect and information about the crimes to local media.

On Thursday afternoon, police officers received a complaint of suspicious activity in the area of Robbins Road. Individuals were reportedly seen disposing of items near the property of the caller. The two people then left in a vehicle. 

When police officers arrived, they identified many of the items as those reported as stolen.

A short time later, two subjects arrived at the Le Roy Police headquarters and offered to identify the suspect in the photo provided to news outlets.

Officers determined the person identified by the people at the police station matched the subject in the photo.

As it turned out, based on further investigation by the officers, the two people at the police station appeared to also be involved in the larcenies. Another person was also identified as a suspect in the thefts.

As a result of the investigations, officers obtained a search warrant at a residence shared by the suspects. 

At the residences, officers say they found additional items that had been reported stolen along with crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia and marijuana.

During the search, Anthony was also allegedly found in personal possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana.

Charges:

Tyler M. Powers was charged with one count of grand larceny, 3rd, a Class D felony, and one count of criminal possession of stolen property, 3rd, a Class D felony. Powers was jailed on $25,000 bail.

Robert J. Pragle was charged with one count of criminal possession of stolen property, 3rd, a Class D felony, one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, a Class A misdemeanor, and one count of criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd, a Class A misdemeanor. Pragle was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Shane C. Anthony was charged with one count of criminal possession of stolen property, 3rd, a Class D felony, and one count of criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd. Powers was jailed on $15,000 bail.

Michelle A. Condidorio was charged with one count of criminal possession of stolen property, 3rd, a class D felony, one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and one count of criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd. Condidorio was jailed on $10,000 bail.

A dedication to the community, to law enforcement, and his reputation among his peers as a person of good character, are among the reasons Sheriff William Sheron Jr. said he picked Sgt. Brad Mazur as his new undersheriff after Mazur took his oath of office yesterday.

Judge Charles Zambito administered the oath to Mazur at the Sheriff's Office on Park Road in Batavia, witnessed by Mazur's wife, Lisa, and their children Hunter, 18, Brady, 12, and Casey, 9.

"He's well recognized not only by the law enforcement community but the criminal justice system for being just an outstanding individual, a great human being, compassionate," Sheron said. 

The undersheriff is the person who steps in when the sheriff isn't available. The undersheriff is also a key supervisor in day-to-day operations of the department with responsibilities that cross patrol, investigations, communications, and the jail. The undersheriff is also a point person on new hires, disciplinary procedures, ensuring compliance with rules and regulations, and handling grant applications.

"Brad is, the best way to put it, an outstanding individual, somebody that I know I can count on," Sheron said. "I've known Brad's family since I was a young child. They actually grew up on the same street as me. I just think he's a he's a person of great character, somebody I have no doubt I can rely on in any type of situation."

Mazur said he's been in love with law enforcement since he started his career in 1999 as a deputy in the Sheriff's Office. He's risen through the ranks, most recently being promoted to sergeant in 2017 and given command of the Local Drug Task Force. He's also been a field training officer, a drug recognition expert and a hostage negotiator. He was named Officer of the Year in 2002 and received the Kiwanis Criminal Justice Award.

After the retirement of Greg Walker at the end of the year, Sheron didn't announce a job opening. He waited for members of the department to come to him and express an interest in the job. Mazur was among those who spoke up.

"I wanted to rise to the leadership challenge and I wanted to give back to the department," Mazur said. "I've had excellent supervisors throughout the years and I've learned from them. Right now, I have a great team around me so I'm looking forward to this new challenge."

The current command staff: Jail Superintendent William Zipfel, Sheriff William Sheron Jr., Undersheriff Bradley Mazur, Chief Deputy - Investigations, Jerome Brewster, Chief Deputy - Road Patrol, Joseph Graff.

A Pembroke farmer was killed Friday evening after his tractor, hauling round bales of hay, was struck from behind by a northbound SUV on a darkened South Lake Road.

The Sheriff's Office investigating the accident and has identified the farmer as Roger A. Sweet.

According to area residents, Sweet raised goats at his small farm on South Lake Road and had a hay field on Maple Road. He regularly drove his tractor, loaded with hay on spikes, from his field on Maple Road to his place on South Lake.

The crash was reported at 5:54 p.m., approximately 70 minutes after sunset.

Preliminary indications are, according to sources at the scene, that he had minimal lighting and reflectors on his Massey-Ferguson tractor.

His wife reportedly heard the crash and rushed outside.

The driver of the 2017 Equinox that struck the tractor, Janet I. Miller, of Rochester, was not injured. The spike holding the back bale of hay on the tractor did not hit the vehicle squarely and did not penetrate the driver's compartment.

Sweet was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Karen Lang.

The accident is being investigated by Chief Deputy Joseph Graff, Sgt. Andrew Hale, Investigator Chad Minuto, Investigator James Diehl, of the Crash Management Team, Deputy Kyle Krzemien, and Trooper Kelli Fitch.

Assisting at the scene were members of the Pembroke, Alabama, Indian Falls, East Pembroke and Corfu fire departments, along with Mercy EMS, Dickinson's Auto Services, and Ron and Newt's Towing.

(Initial report)

ROTARY CLUB CHAMPIONS: The Batavia High School Varsity Girls Basketball Team with Rotary Club Tournament trophy, from left, Bella Houseknecht, Kennedy Kolb, Meghan Houseknecht, Ryann Stefaniak, Emma Krolczyk, Jenae Colkey, Bryn Wormley, Mackenzie Reigle, Tess Barone and Haylee Thornley.

It was only fitting that senior Meghan Houseknecht dropped in the winning basket in Batavia High’s exciting 59-57 victory over Wellsville in tonight’s championship game of 30^th annual Rotary Club Tournament at Genesee Community College.

Houseknecht was a freshman in the Lady Devils’ basketball program in January of 2016 when her father, well-known Batavia businessman Michael Houseknecht, died at the much-too-young age of 38.

With her mother, sister, grandparents, relatives and friends looking on during the closing moments of a hard-fought battle, Houseknecht, a 6-foot center, gathered in a pass from tourney MVP sophomore guard Bryn Wormley and laid the ball over the rim and through the hoop with :06 on the clock.

When teammate Kennedy Kolb broke up Wellsville’s last attempt to tie the game, Batavia had escaped with its seventh win in eight outings this season.

Batavia Coach Marty Hein relished taking the Rotary Club trophy but said he was doubly proud of the way his squad handled the adversity of losing three starters, including their top scorer, senior guard Ryann Stefaniak, who departed with her fifth foul at the 5:12 mark of the final quarter.

“Looking on the bench, we had a lead, I’m thinking we need defense,” Hein said. “ 'OK, Tess (Barone) go in'; Tess plays hardnosed defense and she did a nice job for us to finish the game. And Kennedy Kolb came through.

“I would have rather had Ryann and Kenzie (Reigle) in the game but it turned out that it was a nice win where everyone contributed down the line.”

He also spoke of the way Wormley has stepped up her game this season – “she’s blossoming and it’s fun to watch,” he said – and called Houseknecht’s late heroics “just rewards.”

“Remembering three years ago, it (her father’s passing) was heartbreaking,” he said. “Meg’s an awesome girl; I love her to death and it’s kind of fitting that she makes the shot to win the game.”

The game was close throughout as the teams were never separated by more than seven points.

Wellsville, now 7-2, was up by seven with two minutes left in the third quarter before Batavia ended the period on an 11-1 run with key hoops by Wormley, Reigle and Stefaniak.

Batavia grabbed its biggest lead, 48-43, on a basket by Wormley to open the fourth-quarter scoring, but Wellsville, which kept Batavia off balance with accurate long-distance shooting, pulled ahead 51-50 with 3:45 to play on a three-point shot by senior guard Taylor Adams.

Wellsville made it 53-50 on a pair of free throws by senior guard Jana Whitehouse, but Wormley responded with a three-pointer at the 2:55 mark to tie it at 53-53.

After a free throw by Wellsville’s freshman guard Marley Adams, Batavia scored four straight on a driving layup by sophomore guard Reigle and two foul shots by Wormley to take a 57-54 edge with 1:06 to play.

A pair of free throws by Adams on separate trips down the floor pulled Wellsville within a point and a free throw by senior guard Quincy Buckley with 15 seconds left made it 57-57.

Batavia inbounded the ball, with senior forward Jenae Colkey managing to escape pressure to get the ball to Wormley, who drove down the left side of the lane before lobbing it in to Houseknecht for the decisive bucket.

“The play was to get the ball to Bryn because she was the facilitator at the point in the game – the person who could either make the right pass or get into position to score,” Hein said.

Houseknecht said she was able to get free underneath by virtue of a screen from Kolb and was able to complete the play.

“When I cut through I saw I had a mismatch as the girl was shorter, and Bryn made a good pass to me,” she said. “I knew when I got the ball that I had to shoot it (right away), and fortunately it went in.”

Ironically, the basket was Houseknecht’s only two points of the game and touched off a wild celebration from the Batavia fans.

“All week we were super-excited to play in the tournament and then after winning on Wednesday (against Caledonia-Mumford) to play in the championship game,” Houseknecht said.

Stefaniak led the Batavia scoring with 19 points – five of them in the closing seconds of the first half to pull her team within two at 29-27 at intermission.

Wormley tallied 16 while Reigle and junior forward Emma Krolczyk, who both fouled out in the game’s closing minute, added 13 and nine points, respectively.

For Wellsville, Buckley led the way with 17 – including four three-point baskets -- and junior center Regan Marsh added 13. All told, Wellsville sank eight three-pointers.

We knew that they were an outside shooting team, we were worried more about Winehouse – and Buckley was popping them,” Hein said. “We knew what we were up against … We didn’t close out soon enough – they were popping.”

Stefaniak, Adams and Buckley made the all-tournament team along with Notre Dame’s Callie McCulley (ND defeated Cal-Mum in the consolation game) while Reigle earned the Sportsmanship Award.

 Photos by Thomas Ognibene. To view or purchase photos, click here.

Robert W. Redinger, 29, of Dublin Road, Bergen, is charged with: DWI -- combined drugs or alcohol; unlawful fleeing a police officer in the third degree; reckless driving; failure to yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle; refusal to take a breath test; running a red light; moving from lane unsafely (four counts); speed in zone (four counts); unsafe start (two counts); failure to stop at stop sign (three counts); and unlawful possession of marijuana. Redinger was arrested at 2 a.m. on Dec. 29 on Harvester Avenue in Batavia after he allegedly refused to pull over for a traffic stop. He allegedly proceeded to lead police on a high-speed pursuit; his vehicle stopped as a result of him running out of gas. He was allegedly found to be intoxicated and then he was processed and arraigned in city court and put in jail. (Bail status is not mentioned.) The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Darryle Streeter, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Trace G. Brewer, 18, of Montclair Avenue, Batavia, is charged with third-degree burglary, petit larceny and third-degree criminal trespass. Brewer was arrested at 8 a.m. on Dec. 30 on Montclair Avenue after he allegedly entered a shed and stole property. He is due in Batavia City Court at a later date. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Jason Ivison.

Shah L Zajic, 42, of Batavia, was arrested in the early morning of Dec. 27 by the Le Roy Police Department and charged with: felony driving while intoxicated; felony aggravated driving while intoxicated with a BAC .18 percent or more; unlawful possession of marijuana; speed in zone; and failure to signal. At about 2:25 a.m. Dec. 27^th, an officer assigned to DWI Crackdown Patrol observed a vehicle allegedly moving at a high rate of speed on Wolcott Street in the Village of Le Roy. A lawful traffic stop was initiated after the vehicle also failed to use a signal while making a turn. The operator was identified as Zajic. After a subsequent investigation it was allegedly found that Zajic was intoxicated. Zajic was taken into custody and processed without incident; arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court put in jail with bail set at $2,500 cash or $5,000 bond. Zajic is due back in court on Jan. 22 to answer the charges.

Derrick L. Washington, 46, Roosevelt Avenue, Batavia, is charged with: DWI -- BAC of .08 percent or more; DWI -- first offense; speeding; unlicensed operator; aggravated unlicensed operation. On Dec. 31 at 11:20 p.m. on Liberty Street in Batavia, Washington was arrested on these charges following a traffic stop. After his arraignment in city court, he was jailed in lieu of $1,000 cash or bond. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Ranelle E. Reuben, 36, of Judge Road, Basom, is charged with: driving with a BAC of .08 percent or more; DWI; aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree; following too closely; and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Reuben was arrested at 5:38 p.m. on Dec. 18 on West Main Street in Batavia. The defendant allegedly left the scene of a property damage accident after striking another vehicle and the defendant was allegedly intoxicated and operating the vehicle without a driver's license. Reuben was arraigned in city court and jailed without bail. Reuben was due in city court on Dec. 19. The case was handled Batavia Police Officer Jamie Givens.

Billie L. Harper, 41, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with: criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; unlawful possession of marijuana; driving while ability impaired by drugs; having a cracked front windshield. Harper was arrested at 9:07 a.m. on Dec. 23 on State Street in Batavia after a citizen's complaint of a subject slouched over the steering wheel of a vehicle. Batavia police responded and located Harper asleep in her vehicle at the intersection of Washington Avenue and State Street. After further investigation police allegedly found Harper to be impaired. The defendant is due in city court on Jan. 15. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Marc Lawrence, assisted by Officer Stephen Quider.

Matthew T. Ryan, 42, of Henskee Road, Alden, is charged with DWI -- common law and aggravated DWI -- with a BAC of .18 percent or more. Ryan was arrested at 6:44 p.m. on Dec. 21 on Walnut Street in Batavia following the investigation into a vehicle complaint. He was due in city court on Jan. 2. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen, assisted by Officer Chad Richards.

George Michael Hodges, 28, of Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with obstructing governmental administration in the second degree and harassment in the second degree. Hodges was arrested at 1:50 p.m. on Dec. 30 on Oak Street. It is alleged that he physically interfered with police while they were investigating a disturbance call on Oak Street. He was arraigned in city court and put in jail in lieu of $1,000 cash or bond. He was due in court on Dec. 31 to answer the charges. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Ernest D. Lane, 60, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief. Lane was arrested at 6:40 a.m. on Jan. 1 for allegedly intentionally breaking property that belonged to a female acquaintance. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and jailed in lieu of $2,500 cash bail. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Frank Klimjack, assisted by Officer Nicole McGinnis.

Adam James Gill, 30, of North Bergen Road, Bergen, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. He was arrested at 11 a.m. on Jan. 3 on Church Street in Elba following a visit from probation in the Town of Elba. He was arrested for allegedly being inside the residence and in the presence of a protected party. He was arraigned in Oakfield Town Court and put in jail with bail set at $500 cash or $1,000 bond. He is due in court again on Jan. 9. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Robert Henning.

Tiesha Deon Doward, 32, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Doward was arrested at 12:38 p.m. on Dec. 31 following a shoplifting complaint at Tops Friendly Market in Batavia. Doward is accused of leaving the store with $99.69 worth of merchandise without paying for it. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison, assisted by Officer Matthew Lutey.

Joshua J. Dibble, no permanent address, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Dibble was arrested on Jan. 1 on an active arrest warrant out of Batavia City Court charging him with petit larceny. It is alleged that Oct. 4 on West Main Street in Batavia that Dibble took a 12-pack of beer from a store without paying for it. Following his arrest on the warrant, he was arraigned and jailed in lieu of $1,000 cash or bond. He was due in court again on Jan. 3. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Chad Richards, assisted by Officer Christopher Camp.

     Sean Semprie

If Sean A. Semprie Jr., had just stuck around the Genesee County Courthouse one morning back in May he wouldn't be heading to state prison today.

Judge Charles Zambito was ready to cut Semprie a deal back then that would have meant some jail time followed by five years probation on drug peddling charges. But while Zambito conferred with Semprie's attorney, the 25-year-old told a court official he had to go out to his car. He never came back.

His attorney, Public Defender Jerry Ader told Zambito it should count in Semprie's favor that he never left Genesee County, even with a warrant pending, that he knew eventually he would be caught, and that while it was a poor decision, he wanted to get a job and take care of his family, which he did, Ader said.

Assistant District Attorney Kevin Finnell said the "take care of his family" excuse rang a little hollow.

"The defendant had an opportunity here," Finnell said, adding later, "the fact that he's managed to stay away from being re-arrested is not an indication of his ability to behave lawfully. He says he had a job but there's no indication of what he's been doing (since May).

"Going back to 2008, there's been a bench warrant issued for him, he's had his probation revoked, that was in Monroe County on a burglary charge, and there was a warrant for his return here in 2017 (when Semprie was extricated from Maine on his drug dealing indictment)."

Given that history, and with a maximum available sentence, Finnell said, "He's done nothing to earn less than the maximum."

Semprie spoke politely but said he disagreed with the district attorney. He said he was sorry for the trouble he caused the court, but "everything he says about me was 10 years ago. I was a different person. Now I'm a man. I have a child. I did make poor choices. I mean, I'm sorry for what I did but I don't think I deserve five years."

Zambito said he didn't have a lot of confidence that Semprie is a man who abides by the rules.

"This is not the way to take care of your baby," Zambito said. "I guess the disturbing part is that you were here and after I tried to talk with your attorney, you left. Well, I guess that was a mistake on my part but what you did was a bigger mistake on your part."

Perhaps a three and a half year jail term followed by two years of parole will teach Semprie a lesson, Zambito said, adding, "I don't know."

Semprie still faces a bail jumping charge in Batavia City Court.

When "Frankie" starts full-time patrol duty this spring, Deputy Chris Erion said he will be a good boy -- good at sniffing out crime, good at locating and subduing criminals, and good at helping rescuers find lost and missing people.

"He's under control all the time; he never goes over the top where were he loses control of himself," Erion said. "He has that strong drive that we need to have a working dog. He wants to work and play, whatever it is, he'll work as hard as he can for whatever reward you have.

"He has a good structure to him, a very strong dog," Erion added. "He is strong when he needs it but he's eager to please me. He's working hard for my attention and my affection so that's what is going to help and transfer over in training and work."

Frankie is a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois from Holland, located by a police dog specialist in Rochester who handled the import. He officially became the property of the Sheriff's Office two weeks ago but has been living and working with Erion longer than that while Erion evaluated Frankie for police work.

"I liked him because he seemed very clear-headed and he is always thinking about what he is doing," Erion said. "Sometimes these types of dogs tend to go over the top with their thought process and forget about what they're doing. They work so hard that they forget about what they're doing."

This a new stage for Erion's career. Five years ago, he was a new K-9 officer working and training with a first-time police dog. He and "Destro" were rookies at the K-9 job together. Now Erion has a better idea of the training the process and what to expect. That excites him, he said, about Frankie's potential.

It's bittersweet, too, because Destro, who succumbed in October to complications from cancer surgery, died so unexpectedly but Frankie represents a new opportunity.

"He's a good dog," Erion said. "He's a different personality than Destro -- a hard worker, if not harder, as intelligent if not better. I'm looking forward to getting going with him because the first dog, you don't know what to expect. Now, coming into the second dog, you know what the end game looks like. You know what it's going to look like at the end. And it's just a lot more fun, a lot more relaxing."

Erion's new partner is named after Deputy Frank Bordonaro, who died in 2014.

"We always like to remind people that Frank is still in our thoughts and it seemed very appropriate to name him Frankie," Erion said. "Frank was my first field training officer. He taught me how to do the job for the most part."

Genesee County's newest law enforcement duo will head to Canada in March to enhance and refine Frankie's training and then Frankie will be a full-fledged police dog.

Around here, tracking people is a big part of a K-9's job and Erion said Frankie will return from Canada ready to look for bad guys on the lam or find lost and vulnerable adults or children.

"He can track a little bit right now," Erion said. "We really need to fine tune it and polish it up and we'll do that at our school in Canada in March. That's one of the specialties of the school. That's one of the skills that we come out with is the ability to track and find people and locate people whether they're criminals, vulnerable people -- whatever that is. And I'm confident he's going to be very good. I'm excited about his ability to track or really find anything so I can't wait until summer when we get moving."

For all Frankie's loyalty to Erion (necessary in a good police dog) and his obvious skills and good temperament, Erion admits it's still hard to let go of Destro. He moves forward with mixed feelings.

"Certainly the best part of my career has been working with dogs, hands down," Erion said. "That's been the best thing. It's bittersweet. Destro is a great dog. I haven't even taken his name off the (patrol) car because I am unable to do that yet. I feel a little bit of guilt going on without him. But again, I'm excited about the new dog, too, because I see a lot of potential. I know the potential now. I didn't know that about Destro. I didn't know what we could do with my first dog but seeing where we can go with this is pretty exciting."

Previously: 'Destro' takes on new job with a dogged enthusiasm

The community contributed thousands of dollars to the Sheriff's Office K-9 fund after Destro died and those funds cover the purchase of Frankie and the cost of his training. Sheriff William Sheron's office sent out this press release (pdf) thanking donors and the pictures below.

Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr., Correction Officer Eric Wagner, Deputy Chris Erion, Chief Deputy Joseph Graff, NYSCOPBA Western Region Vice President Joe Miano.

Sheriff's Employee Association President/Sr. Correction Officer Kevin Wolff, Deputy Chris Erion, Sr. Correction Officer Pete Hoy.

Students from Elba Central School which hosted an Applebee's Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser for the K-9 fund.

Le Roy police are requesting the public’s assistance in identifying a man who was captured on camera entering multiple vehicles and stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of property.   

The man entered multiple unlocked vehicles on Robbins Road in the Village of Le Roy at about 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 2^nd.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Le Roy Police Department at 585-345-6350.

Submitted photo and press release:

Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. is pleased to announce the appointment of Sgt. Bradley D. Mazur to Undersheriff of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

Undersheriff Mazur, a 20-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, began his law enforcement career in January of 1999 as a Deputy Sheriff. In February of 2016, Brad was promoted to Investigator and then in January of 2017, he was promoted to Sergeant, overseeing the operation of the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force.

Brad also serves as a Field Training Officer, Drug Recognition Expert and Hostage Negotiator. During his career, Undersheriff Mazur has been awarded three commendations, Officer of the Year in 2002, a M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) Law Enforcement Award, and a Kiwanis Criminal Justice Award.

Undersheriff Mazur is a Batavia native and a 1991 graduate of Batavia High School. In 1996, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Virginia Wesleyan College and continued to pursue his education by earning a master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Keuka College in 2008. He currently is an adjunct professor at Genesee Community College and resides in Genesee County with his wife, Lisa, and their three sons.  

“Brad is a true professional that is well respected within the criminal justice law enforcement community," Sheriff Sheron said. "I am honored to have him join the administrative team of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office."

Undersheriff Mazur will be sworn in by Judge Charles Zambito tomorrow, Jan. 4, at 3 p.m. in the Sheriff's Office multipurpose conference room on Park Road, Batavia.

Tevin Alexander Dowdell, 40, of Clifford Ave., Rochester, is charged with: driving while intoxicated as a felony; speeding in a 55-mph zone; refusal to take a breath test; uninspected motor vehicle; and aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree -- operating a motor vehicle without a required ignition interlock device. On Dec. 31 at 8:33 p.m. on Clinton Street Road in Bergen, Dowdell was arrested on the charges, arraigned and put in Genesee County Jail in lieu of $2,000 cash bail or $4,000 bond. Dowdell is due in Bergen Town Court this afternoon (Jan. 2). The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor, assisted by Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

Andrew John Rock, 32, of Judge Road, Oakfield, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. At 12:08 a.m. on Dec. 29 on Alleghany Road in Alabama, Rock was a passenger in a vehicle during a traffic stop. The defendant allegedly possessed a quantity of marijuana in the glove compartment of the vehicle and a smoking pipe in the passenger door. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Parker, assisted by Deputy Andrew Mullen.

Damian Michael-Edward Schoonmaker, 20, of Smith Street, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. At 5:01 a.m. on Dec. 31 on Lewiston Road in Oakfield, Schoonmaker was arrested for allegedly possessing marijuana inside his 2000 Buick LaSabre. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack.

Robert A. Maharrey is indicted for the crime of disorderly conduct. It is alleged that on Aug. 10, at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center located in the Town of Darien Center, Maharrey engaged in fighting or with violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior by punching or striking a female patron in the face. In count two, he is accused of second-degree harassment for allegedly subjecting a female patron to physical contact, or attempting or threatening to do so. In count three, Maharrey is accused of disorderly conduct for allegedly engaging in fighting or with violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior with Live Nation Security staff members. In count four, he is accused of second-degree harassment for allegedly subjecting a Genesee County Sheriff's deputy to physical contact by spitting in his face. In count five, the defendant is accused of second-degree assault, a Class D violent felony, by allegedly intentionally preventing a Sheriff's deputy from performing a lawful duty and causing injury to the deputy. In count six, Maharrey is accused of assault on a police officer, a Class C violent felony, for allegedly intentionally preventing a second deputy from performing a lawful duty and causing serious physical injury to that deputy.

Jacob M. Balla Sr. is indicted for the crime of first-degree criminal contempt, a Class E violent felony. It is alleged that on Oct. 19 in the Town of Pembroke, in violation of an order of protection, that he struck, shoved, kicked or otherwise subjected the protected party to physical contact or attempted or threatened to do so. In count two, Balla is accused of second-degree harassment, a violation, for allegedly intentionally harassing, annoying or alarming the protected party by striking, shoving, kicking or otherwise subjecting the person to physical contact or attempting or threatening to do so.

Lashawn Brown-Dixie is indicted for the crime of aggravated driving while intoxicated, per se, as a Class E felony. It is alleged that on Sept. 17 Brown-Dixie drove a 2016 Chevrolet on Interstate 90 in the Town of Stafford while having a BAC of .18 percent or more. In count two, she is accused of DWI, as a Class E felony, for the same incident. In Special Information filed by the District Attorney's Office, Brown-Dixie is accused of having been convicted of DWI, as a misdemeanor, on Dec. 14, 2010 in Town of Marathon Court, County of Cortland, and the conviction was within 10 years of the crimes alleged in the current indictment.

Adam B. Thomas, 29, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and public appearance under the influence of a narcotic drug. At 10:19 a.m. on Dec. 28, the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center received the complaint of an intoxicated male operating an electric scooter inside a department store, causing a disturbance. Sheriff's deputies arrived and initiated an investigation into the complaint. The scooter operator was identified as Thomas and he was allegedly determined to be under the influence of a narcotic drug. Following a subsequent search, it is alleged that Thomas possessed a powdered substance that tested positive for the synthetic opioid fentanyl. He was taken to jail, processed and issued appearance tickets returnable to Town of Batavia Court on Jan. 17. The investigation was conducted by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan DeLong, assisted by Deputy Richard Schildwaster.

Matthew Hawkeye Pape, 27, of Lockport Road, Oakfield, is charged with first degree criminal contempt. At 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 29 following the investigation of a domestic incident on Lockport Road, Pape was arrested on the charge. He allegedly struck another individual in the head with a door, causing physical injury, thereby violating an order of protection issued by Town of Oakfield Court. Pape was arraigned and jailed in lieu of $5,000 cash bail. He is due in Oakfield court Jan. 4. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen, assisted by Sgt. Jason Saile.

Zachary Erin Brazzell, 20, of Alabama Street, Medina, is charge with: DWI -- first offense with a BAC of .08 percent or more; DWI -- first offense; no/inadequate headlamp; and unlawful possession of marijuana. Brazzell was arrested at 20 River St. in Batavia at 4:12 a.m. on Dec. 30 following a traffic stop. Brazzell was issued appearance tickets returnable to the City of Batavia Court on Feb. 6. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen.

Genesee County's unemployment rate was a point and a half lower in November than it was in the previous November, dropping from 5 percent to 3.5 percent.

The state's online records for monthly unemployment rates only goes back to 1990 and in that span, the November rate has never been lower, though it was 3.8 percent in 2000.

The state reports that 29,000 people in Genesee County have jobs, compared to 27,000 a year ago. There are 30,000 people in the local labor force.

The state's unemployment rate is 3.5 percent and was 4.4 percent a year ago. The GLOW region's rate is 3.4 percent, down from 5.2 percent a year ago.

For November, 22,300 non-farm jobs are reported based in Genesee County, compared to 22,200 a year ago. Total private sector jobs has grown from 16,400 to 16,600.

     Torres-Acevedo

A 22-year-old Batavia man who was the subject of a manhunt at the end of November after he allegedly drove off with a teenage Bergen girl in a blue SUV, which prompted an Amber Alert, is back in Genesee County and may face federal charges.

Sheriff William Sheron said today that because Jose Guillermo Torres-Acevedo is suspected of taking the girl across state lines, the Sheriff's Office is working with the FBI to determine if Torres-Acevedo should be charged by federal authorities.

Locally, he's been charged with grand larceny, 3rd, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for allegedly stealing the Dodge Journey he is accused of using to transport the girl from her Bergen home.

He is being held in the Genesee County Jail without bail.

In November, Torres-Acevedo was arrested following an investigation by State Police and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. A judge issued a complete stay away order requiring Torres Acevedo to have no contact with the girl.

The morning of Nov. 29, Torres-Acevedo allegedly drove to the girl's home and picked her up. The Sheriff's Office was soon notified that the girl was missing and an Amber Alert was issued that afternoon.

The girl, authorities said, went with Torres-Acevedo willingly.

The girl and Torres-Acevedo were reportedly located that night at a Walmart in Mansfield, Pa., when authorities were able to ping the girl's mobile phone.

Torres-Acevedo was taken into custody and the girl was returned to her family in Bergen. Torres-Acevedo waived extradition and a deputy picked him up in Pennsylvania on Friday.

The suspect is scheduled to appear in Bergen Town Court next month to face charges stemming from his initial arrest by State Police.

Manuel Mendoza-Stymus, 20, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, (inset photo, right) is charged with: second-degree strangulation; fourth-degree criminal mischief; second-degree unlawful imprisonment; and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem from an altercation on Dec. 21 at an apartment on Ellicott Street in Batavia wherein the defendant allegedly choked another person, held that person down against their will and took their cell phone when the victim attempted to call police for assistance. The incident also took place in the immediate proximity of a 5-month-old infant. Mendoza-Stymus was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in Genesee County Jail without bail. He was due back in court Dec. 24. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Chad Richards, assisted by Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Daniel E. King, 42, of Pembroke, is charged with petit larceny. He was arrested at 5:08 p.m. on Dec. 24 by troopers out of SP Batavia. Troopers were dispatched to Ye Olde Willow Bend Inn in the Town of Batavia for a larceny complaint. Upon arrival, the complainant advised troopers on scene that a green pickup truck pulled up next to the restaurant and tavern, then the front passenger exited the pickup and allegedly proceeded to steal a sign to the business. The registration and suspect description were provided to troopers and the information quickly led to the arrest of King. He was given an appearance ticket returnable to Batavia Town Court in January.

Emily D. Smith, 33, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with third-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Smith was arrested at 10 a.m. on Nov. 22 on Liberty Street on the charges and was issued an appearance ticket for Jan. 8 in Batavia City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk.

Zachary Vernon Donald Seeley, 22, of Central Avenue, Batavia, and Krista Swan, no age or address provided, are both charged with petit larceny. They were arrested at 8:56 p.m. on Dec. 18 on West Main Street in Batavia after Tops Friendly Market reported a larceny in progress to Batavia Police Department. Police responded and located the suspects, who matched descriptions provided by Tops employees. Numerous items totaling $306.81 in value were recovered. The defendants were released on appearance tickets and are due in Batavia City Court on Jan. 8. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Felicia DeGroot, assisted by Officer Jamie Givens.

Iszon C. Richardson, 18, of Lewis Place, Batavia, is charged with trespass. He was arrested on Dec. 21 after he allegedly entered and remained on the property of another person on Jackson Street in the City of Batavia without permission at 9:20 p.m. Dec. 20. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Jan. 8. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Kiha S. McNear, 21, no permanent address, Batavia, is charged with: second-degree criminal contempt -- disobeying a mandate (arrest warrant); harassment in the second degree -- physical contact resulting in arrest warrant; and execution of a bench warrant. McNear was arrested on Dec. 19. All three charges stem from separate cases, all with warrants. The defendant was issued three appearance tickets and then released. McNear is due in Batavia City Court on Jan. 8. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Nicole McGinnis, assisted by Officer Eric Bolles.

Patrick M. Viscuso, 54, Evans Street, is charged with second-degree harassment and unlawful possession of marijuana. He was arrested at 4:33 p.m. Dec. 18 on Evans Street in Batavia following an incident wherein it's alleged that Viscuso struck another subject on the side of the face during an argument. Viscuso was allegedly also found to possess a small amount of marijuana at the time of his arrest. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Jan. 8. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Chad Richards, assisted by Officer Jamie Givens.

Guillermo Jose Torres-Acevedo, 22, of Collegeview Drive, Batavia, is charged with third-degree grand larceny and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was arrested on a warrant Dec. 21 following an investigation into an incident that occurred Nov. 29 at about 7 a.m. in the Town of Batavia. Torres-Acevedo allegedly stole a motor vehicle from a residence. He was arraigned in Batavia Town Court and jailed without bail.

Triton Adam Drock, 24, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree and failure to use headlights while operating windshield wipers. He was arrested on an outstanding Batavia City Court warrant issued for failure to appear on charges made Nov. 18. He was arraigned on Dec. 20 and is due in city court Jan. 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Kevin DeFelice.

The victim of a domestic incident responded to the Batavia Police Department and an investigation determined that Iszon Richardson (right inset photo) allegedly violated a complete stay away order of protection.

Richardson is suspected of holding the protected party at their residence on Jackson Street and refusing to allow them to leave.

A short time later, the Batavia PD received information that Richardson had returned to the protected party's residence and police responded. Police did not release the date of the incident, but put out this report on Friday (Dec. 21).

They located Richardson hiding and he was taken into custody and charged with: four counts of first-degree criminal contempt -- Class E felonies; three counts of second-degree burglary -- Class C felonies; and one count of unlawful imprisonment in the first degree -- also a Class E felony.

Richardson was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in Genesee County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bail. He is to reappear in city court at a later date.

This case was investigated by Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Sgt. Christopher Camp, Officer Mitchell Cowen, Officer Chad Richards and Officer Jamie Givens.

Steven William Barnhardt, 27, of River Road, Pavilion, is charged with second-degree aggravated harassment and fourth-degree stalking. At 12:15 p.m. on Dec. 21, Barnhardt was arrested on the charges. After meeting a female a week prior, he allegedly continued to send text and Facebook messages and call the female, who lives on Barrville Road in Elba, after being advised to have to further contact. Barnhardt was arraigned in Batavia Town Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice. An order of protection was issued by the court. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Investigator Joseph Loftus.

Gary David Doctor, 36, of Pembroke, is charged with: driving while ability impaired by drugs; unlawful possession of marijuana; driving left of pavement markings; having an unregistered motor vehicle; unauthorized sticker on rear window; and obstructed driver's view. On Dec. 20, Doctor was arrested on the charges, which stem from a motor-vehicle accident that occurred at 9:48 p.m. on Nov. 5 on Knapp Road in Pembroke. Doctor was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Pembroke Town Court on Jan. 22. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Forsyth.

Damien M. Schoonmaker, 20, of Smith Street, Rochester, is charged with trespass. The defendant was arrested after allegedly driving around the property and racetrack of the Genesee County Fairgrounds at 1:43 p.m. on Nov. 30 without permission and causing ruts in the mud and grass. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Sgt. Ronald Meides.

     Rashawn Gosier

A man was taken into custody Monday night after a report of a fight and a stabbing at 337 Ellicott St., Batavia, has been charged with attempted murder.

Rashawn L. Gosier, 40, Shady Lane, Batavia, was also charged with assault in the first degree.

The arrest of Gosier comes after police were able to interview the victim, who was treated and released from a hospital in the region.

Police said the victim was "stabbed by a stabbing instrument." Public Information Officer Marc Lawrence confirmed investigators do not know at this time what type of sharp instrument was involved. The weapon has not been recovered.

After the report of the stabbing at 11:45 p.m. Monday, a man reportedly wearing a blue jacket was seen by an officer running from the scene.

Though the man ran from the scene, police believe he circled back and tried to hide in the basement of the house on Ellicott Street.

Some 15 or 20 minutes later, a man matching the description of the suspect, and later identified as Gosier, was taken into custody after crawling out of the basement window.

According to Lawrence, Gosier and the victim knew each other through a mutual acquaintance.

On his Facebook page, Gosier says he's originally from New Jersey. He was arrested earlier this year on a charge of petit larceny for allegedly stealing merchandise from Tops. He doesn't appear to have a prior felony record.

Lawrence said no further information is being released at this time because this is an ongoing investigation.

People with information that may assist in the investigation are asked to call Det. Matt Wojtaszczyk at (585) 345-6350 or the confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370.

Previously:

• Possible stabbing reported at Swan and Ellicott streets
• Arrest made in incident Monday night on Ellicott Street

A member of the Pavilion Fire Department who is assigned to fire police was driving near his residence on Pavilion Center Road this morning when he spotted a fire in a neighbor's garage at 10240 Pavilion Center Raod.

He immediately called in the fire but there were already huge plumes of black smoke pouring from the structure.

By the time the first fire units arrived, the garage was fully involved.

Chief Dewey Murdock said that despite it being a weekday on a holiday week, fire companies in Pavilion and mutual aid companies from Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming counties, were able to assemble crews quickly and arrive on scene shortly after the fire was reported.

That wasn't enough, however, to save the two-story garage built in the 1970s from total destruction.

The homeowner, Wayne Palmer, used the garage to restore old cars and a couple of cars were pulled out of the garage at some point.

No firefighters were injured fighting the blaze.

Multiple tankers were needed to provide water for the fire but there was never a water flow issue, Murdock said, because of sufficient crew members for the tankers, plenty of tankers on scene, and the proximity of Oatka Creek.

Murdock said the cause of the fire is under investigation but it may have started with a fuel oil burner.

A fully working garage fire is reported at 10240 Pavilion Center Road. The structure is full of mechanical equipment, according to the caller to dispatch. The location is south of Junction Road. Pavilion, Stafford and Le Roy are called to the scene.

It's gone to a second alarm -- the city's Fast Team is now called along with Bethany, Alexander and York. A first responder says heavy black smoke is showing.

UPDATE 11:08 a.m.: The city's first platoon is requested to stand by in its fire headquarters.

UPDATE 11:10 a.m.: "This is a two-story garage, fully involved," says a chief. Two additional tankers from Caledonia are called to the scene.

UPDATE 11:13 a.m.: Equipment from Perry Center and Wyoming are also going to respond. The tankers are to come in off Route 20. The railroad will be notified of the incident and its close proximity to the tracks; trains will not need to be stopped, but will need to slow down.

UPDATE 11:17 a.m.: Churchville is called to fill in at Le Roy's fire hall. Town of Batavia is called to fill in at Stafford Fire Hall.

UPDATE 11:21 a.m.: The power company is called to respond to the scene.

UPDATE 11:33 a.m.: Perry is filling in at Pavilion's fire hall. Churchville was unable to secure a crew to fill in for Le Roy.

UPDATE 11:37 p.m.: "Town of Batavia all additional available manpower to stand by in your quarters."

UPDATE 12:24 p.m.: Heavy smoke is still pouring from the site.

UPDATE 1:17 p.m.: All tankers have been released except Pavilion's.