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Two men accused of burglarizing a Maple Street apartment while the resident sits in jail appeared in Batavia City Court on Tuesday and waived their right for a pre-trial hearing.

The waiver means the case will be sent to the grand jury for possible indictment, but also paves the way for a possible plea deal and one of the suspects indicated in court that he is expecting a possible plea bargain.

Both Eric P. Doleman, 41, no permanent address, and Frederick H. Robidoux Jr., 49, no permanent address. are charged with burglary, 2nd.

Doleman, top photo, was also charged Tuesday with criminal mischief, 3rd, and petit larceny.

Doleman is accused of breaking a window on a 2010 Kia on Dec. 13 parked at Tops Market and stealing a laptop computer.

Robidoux is also charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

The duo was stopped on Walnut Street early in the morning Dec. 29 after a Maple Street resident reported seeing the men carrying items from an apartment at 10 Maple St., Batavia.

The resident of the apartment, Edward R. Freida, is being held in Genesee County jail without bail on drug and weapon charges.

When Doleman's case was called, after he was charged with the Dec. 13 car break-in, Judge Robert Balbick asked Doleman if he agreed to waive a pre-trial hearing. Doleman appeared confused and said he thought the two cases would be combined as part of a plea deal. He kept turning his head toward the back of the room where District Attorney Lawrence Friedman was standing.

After the hearing, Friedman said he couldn't comment on whether or not a plea deal is in the works.

Both Doleman and Robidoux are being held in Genesee County Jail without bail.

If somebody contacts you claiming to be a relative in another country and in trouble with the law, local police are warning: use caution.

Today, according to police, a Batavia resident received just such a call and went to Tops Market with the intention to wire a significant amount of money to this "relative" in Lima, Peru (or claiming to be in Lima, Peru).

Alert employees at Tops were aware of the scam and suggested the resident contact Batavia PD.

A police investigation revealed the actual relative was safe and not in police custody.

The Batavia PD is encouraging residents to be wary of anyone requesting bail money via a Western Union wire transfer.

Police are looking for a 13-year-old who disappeared and may be traveling with his non-custodial mother after she passed through Batavia to visit with him.

Michael Smith was last seen with his mother at 8 a.m., Monday, boarding a bus in Buffalo.

His non-custodial mother is Anna M. Spencer, aka, Anna M. Smith, 49, who has no permanant address and is known to travel from place to place.

Michael Smith was reported missing after not returning from a visit with his mother at a hotel on Oak Street.

Anyone who has information or has seen either of these two individuals is asked to call Genesee County Dispatch at 585-345-6350 and ask for a City of Batavia Police Supervisor.

The driver of a vehicle making a U-turn Monday afternoon at the intersection of Bloomingdale and Akerson roads, Alabama, was injured after being struck by an eastbound car.

Hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries was S.R. Weissenbuger, 55, of Citation Drive, Henrietta.

Weissenbuger was cited for alleged failure to yield right of way.

The other driver, Lola A. Sharlow, 63, of Hopkins Street, Mt. Morris, and her 17-year-old passenger were not injured.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Chris Parker.

(Initial report)

City of Batavia responded to a small fire in an RV this morning at 86 S. Main St., Batavia.

The RV was parked near a structure, but was put out quickly.

Ladder 15 and Engine 12 were back in service by 7:45 a.m.

A T-bone accident with injuries is reported in the area of 1069 Bloomingdale Road, Alabama.

Alabama Fire Department is dispatched.

Two cars are blocking traffic.

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A driver allegedly failed to yield the right of way at the intersection Brookville Road and Route 20, leading to an accident at 1:19 p.m., Saturday, that sent two people to the hospital with minor injuries.

Cited was Cortney A. Spiotta, 19, of Bartz Road, Alexander. Spiotta was injured in the accident.

The other driver, William A. Congdon, 47, of Meadowlark Drive, Avon, was also injured. His passenger, Edward J. Howard, 50, was not injured.

Spiotta was reportedly pulling her 2004 Ford SUV from Brookville Road onto Route 20 when Congdon's 2005 Ford sedan struck her vehicle.

Investigator Deputy Chris Parker wrote in his report that Spiotta said she was creeping into the intersection to see if the coast was clear. She said she did not see Congdon's vehicle.

Congdon told Parker that he saw Spiotta's vehicle slow at the intersection and then proceed onto Route 20.

Kathryn Hughes Whipple, 34, of North Main Street, Lyndonville, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, moving from lane unsafely, failure to keep right and unlawful use of a mobile phone. Whipple was stopped at 1:50 a.m., Saturday, on Lewiston Road in Oakfield by Deputy Jason Saile.

William C. Leyden, 30, of 23 Parkhurst Drive, Hudson, N.H., is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Leyden was allegedly found in possession of cocaine while at 3 Ross St., Batavia. NYS Parole assisted in the investigation. Leyden was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Jeremiah Thomas Altrogge, 28, of Cedar Street, Akron, was arrested on a bench warrant. The warrant was issued out of Alabama Town Court. Altrogge allegedly failed to pay a fine on an incident in August 2011. Altrogge was jailed on $1,000 bail.

James John Bachorski, 43, of Webber Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Bachorski was allegedly found to be in possession of a marijuana pipe during an investigation into an alleged domestic dispute on Batavia Oakfield Townline Road. Bachorski's vehicle was stopped on South Pearl Street, Oakfield.

Daihnath Grady Geiogamah, 36, of Route 438, Irving, is charged with disorderly conduct. Geiogamah is accused of being involved in a domestic incident at 11:10 p.m., Saturday, at a location on Route 63, Town of Batavia, in which she allegedly threatened to fight family members and Sheriff's deputies. Geiogamah was jailed on $500 bail.

A car has rolled over on Route 98 just north of West Saile Drive.

The driver is believed to be out of the car.

Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 9 a.m.: Vehicle is on its side in the front yard of the residence. Driver out walking around, not injured. A responder warns caution for others approaching the scene, "98 is just a sheet of ice from Elba all the way to the city."

UPDATE 9:23 a.m.: Female driver being transported to UMMC for evaluation.

UPDATE 9:40 a.m.: Deputies still on scene discussed the traffic situation. Cars and trucks were struggling to get up a hill on Route 98. State DOT salted the road about five minutes prior. The scene is now clear.

The storm that was predicted to drop from four to 10 inches of snow ended up bringing very little snow to the area and the storm warning, originally going to noon, was cancelled early this morning.

However, more snow may be on the way. Weather.com forecasts from one to three inches falling this afternoon with 100-percent chance of precipitation between 2 and 3 p.m. There's at least an 80-percent chance of precipitation going late into the night.

A car has reportedly run into a house at 60 Drake St., Oakfield.

The reported operator of the vehicle is a 6-year-old girl.

No injuries are reported. The girl is reported to be walking back to her father's house.

UPDATE 11:43 p.m.: No citations. No arrests. No injuries. Minimal damage. The 6-year-old apparently found her father's keys, sneaked out of the house, got in the car and left with the intention of going to her mother's house. She headed south down Irving Parkway and failed to negotiate a turn at Drake Street, heading straight into the yard of the house on the south side of the street. Her father's sedan knocked over a mailbox. A trooper on scene said, "Thank God there was no east or west traffic (on Drake Street) or we would have had a much worse situation." He said there wasn't any indication that the father was negligent in order to support a charge such as "endangering the welfare of a child."

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Genesee County Emergency Dispatchers are having a busy night dealing with multiple calls of trees down, hanging wires and sparking transformers, not to mention the usual domestics, medical and mental health issues.

A high wind warning is in effect until 4 a.m.  The lake effect snow warning remains in place until noon, Monday, with six to 10 inches of accumulated snow predicted.

Weather.com's radar map shows snowstorms hitting Batavia about 10:15 p.m. and a second, larger front after midnight.

The weather-related reports we've been able to catch over the past hour or so include:

• A transformer sparking near 1 Holland Ave., Batavia.
• Cable wires down and a tree down on Slusser Road, Batavia.
• Wires down and blocking somewhere in Le Roy.
• Trees down on Tower Hill and Byron roads, Bergen.
• Tree in the roadway blocking traffic on Scribner Road.
• Tree down near 10604 Broadway.
• Tree down on Fisher Road near Lockport Road.
• Transformer arcing at Daws Corners.
• Cable wire down on Broadlawn Road, Batavia.
• Tree on fire and wires arcing near on Main Road between Cleveland and Boyce roads, Batavia. East Pembroke Fire Department responding (call at 7:45 p.m.)

There are about 10 power outages in the county effecting about 200 National Grid customers. The two largest are along Route 63 from East Road to near Cook Road, and from Pavilion well into Wyoming County's Town of Covington.

Assuming additional calls along these lines, we will continue to update this post as needed.

UPDATE 7:58 p.m.: Tree down blocking on Route 20 near Countyline Road, Darien.

UPDATE 8:06 p.m.: Tree down on Swamp Road, Bergen, blocking.

UPDATE 8:08 p.m.: Power restored to Route 63, including the intersection of routes 63 and 20.

UPDATE 8:45 p.m.: Power is out at County Building #3 on West Main Street Road, Batavia. A transform in the area is arcing.

UPDATE  8:48 p.m.: Power is out again at Route 20 and Route 63. City fire is clearing Holland Avenue. Power is back on and National Grid has driven by a couple of times, but hasn't stopped.

UPDATE 8:52 p.m.: No arcing at Building #3. "For the power company, behind the building, it appears that the power has been tripped," reports a responder.

UPDATE 11:50 p.m.: The lake effect storm warning remains in effect until noon, Monday. There are currently six power outages reported in Genesee County.  The three biggest are: East Pembroke along Main Road, 51 customers, with an estimated power restoration of 1 a.m.; Galloway Road, Batavia, 34 customers with an estimated power restoration of 4 a.m.; Elba, Bridge Road area, 21 customers, with an estimated restoration time of 1 a.m.

A 21-year-old driver who reportedly slammed his van through a guard rail and into the Tonawanda Creek off Walnut Street early Sunday morning has been charged with DWI.

Zachary D. Leitten, of 9351 Shepard Road, Batavia, was transported to UMMC after the accident and treated for injuries.

Beside facing a DWI charge, Leitten was cited for alleged speed not reasonable and prudent, moving from lane unsafely and driving on a sidewalk.

Officer Jason Ivison investigated the accident.

It's a New Year, time to get a fresh start, make some resolutions, set some goals for 2012.  Shop Batavia is here to help:

• Learn to play a musical instrument with the help of Roxy's Music.
• Get in shape, improve your health, enroll in fun fitness classes at Next Level Fitness.
• Learn fencing at En Garde.
• Achieve tranquility with classes at Exhale Yoga.
• Improve your mind at Genesee Community College.
• Turn your body into a canvas for art at High Voltage Tattoo.
• Visit the Magic Kingdom with the help of Making Memories Travel of WNY.
• Learn to create using glass at the Oakta School of Glass.
• Help make your community stronger by shopping locally more often, starting with Shop Batavia.
• Give your home the make over it deserves with Suzanne Interiors.

Don't forget about our contest: Leave a five-star review for a local business on Shop Batavia for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate from that business.

More than 3.3 million times people visited The Batavian in 2011 to find out what's going on in Genesee County.

That's up from 2.5 million visits in 2010, when the site served up 4.3 million page views. In 2011, The Batavian served 5.6 million page views.

Here are the most viewed posts of 2011:

• Brad Paisley fans get themselves arrested in droves during Darien Lake concert
• Teenage Bergen bow hunter takes down 17-point buck*
• Suzanne Corona accused of shoplifting from Batavia florist*
• Walmart greeter, age 70, seriously injured after allegedly being punched by 26-year-old woman*
• Today's Poll: Should the U.S. arm Libyan rebels?
• Woman who reportedly jumped in front of a car on East Main takes her own life*
• Two-car, head-on collision with serious injuries on Indian Falls Road*
• Employees of Batavia Lowe's told store closing, layoffs coming*
• Witnesses describe combative situation after Walmart employee asked to see receipt*

Stories denoted with (*) were reported first, and in some cases, exclusively, on The Batavian.

Below are the most viewed posts for December, November and October. Again, stories you read first on The Batavian are denoted with an (*).

December:

• Walmart greeter, age 70, seriously injured after allegedly being punched by 26-year-old woman*
• Witnesses describe combative situation after Walmart employee asked to see receipt*
• Fight reported in Walmart*
• Horse rescue owner diagnosed with cancer, 18 horses need new homes immediately*
• 'Significant year' justifies GCEDC bonuses, board member says
• Young woman's arm caught in grain auger in Elba by Billie Owens*
• Suspicious photography on Route 98*
• Consultants lay out three-year plan to help reshape future of Batavia
• Law and Order: Driver accused of transporting 15,650 untaxed cigarettes
• Corfu resident among four corrections officers accused of assaulting Attica inmate

November:

• Elba woman killed when car strikes tree on North Byron Road
• School district's 10-year-old policy on religious observance suddenly new(s)*
• Street fight on State Street, by Billie Owens*
• Possible hunting accident on or near Iroquois Wildlife Refuge*
• House in foreclosure, dog left behind, by Billie Owens*
• Likely buyer for 'Project Wave' plant is PepsiCo*
• Final approvals in place for 'Project Wave' to begin construction*
• Today's Poll: Should aggressive anti-illegal immigration laws be passed, even if ... ?
• Strong-armed robbery of purse in Oakfield, by Billie Owens*
• 'Project Wave' could break ground in ag park in 10 days*

October:

• Teenage Bergen bow hunter takes down 17-point buck*
• Employees of Batavia Lowe's told store closing, layoffs coming*
• Driver in early morning crash in Elba faces possible DWI charge
• Photo: 'I stole art from Glass Roots'*
• State considering $1.8 million roundabout for Route 20 at Suicide Corners*
• City schools’ Board of Education says no to hockey team tournament trip, by Geoff Redick
• Winning drug-free posters from local students*
• Fences, and more, divide business neighbors in Stafford*
• Possible hazmat issue on West Main between Hopkins and Powers roads*
• Consultants: Negative attitudes hurting city more than actual problems

Happy New Year from The Batavian!

A 21-year-old man was able to get himself out of his van early this morning after he drove it through a barrier on Walnut Street and into the Tonawanda Creek.

A witness said the van appeared to have crashed through the barrier at a high rate of speed and a police source said he may have been drinking.

No official police report is available this morning.

The accident occurred shortly after 5:30 a.m. at the turn of Walnut Street into South Main.

Cassandra Costner, who lives with her husband and children right at the intersection, said her family was sleeping when they heard a large boom. She looked out the window and saw the barrier down and called 9-1-1.

When she came outside, she said she and her husband were surprised by what they found.

"We saw the car in the creek and were like, 'Oh, wow, crazy,'" she said.

Costner said the driver came up the bank of the creek saying, "I'm OK. I'm OK. It's not as bad as it looks."

The driver was reportedly transported to UMMC by Mercy EMS, but no information has been released on his injuries, if any.

While at least one witness said he saw somebody running from the scene, Costner said she didn't see anybody at the scene other than the driver.

The van went through a wooden, reinforced barrier, a chain-link fence, over a boulder and down about 10 feet of embankment before landing in the water.

"We've lived here six years and never seen a car go in the creek," Costner said. "It's just crazy that somebody was going that fast, but people go flying down this road. It's gotten better since they put in the roundabout, but people just haul ass down this road."

The first significant snowstorm of the season is on its way to Genesee County, according to the National Weather Service, which has issued a severe storm warning for the area.

The lake effect snow warning takes effect from 7 p.m., Sunday, through noon, Monday.

Storm totals over night are expected to be from three to five inches, with another one to three inches Monday for a storm total of four to eight inches.

Winds will be 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.

White-out conditions are expected and visibility will be reduced at times to less than a quarter of a mile.

Temperatures will be in the 30s.

UPDATE 5:22 p.m.: The storm total has been revised to 6-10 inches of snow.

Statement from Bruce Fauth, outgoing treasurer of the Corfu Fire Department:

It is very unfortunate that there are certain people in town that because of their own actions find it necessary to try to tear down all the good that your fire dept. has done for the people they protect. The latest is the unfair reporting on the recent audit of the fire dept. 

The first statement of the results of the audit reads; “We found that the Trustees provide adequate oversight of the Department’s financial activities and the Treasurer maintained suitable records to account for the financial activity."

The auditor stated verbally to us that we are doing a very good job with our funds. Further, the state will always find ways to better the controls of the finances. The claims not included on the lists approved by the trustees were items brought up at meetings and were indeed voted on and approved by the membership. Some bills were paid that didn’t have supporting statements attached but I want you to know that they were all legitimate fire dept. approved expenditures backed by our recorded minutes.

I feel we had a very good audit report, but it’s too bad that certain people have an axe to grind, again because of their own actions. They find it necessary to try and destroy a vital asset of the community and I urge citizens to not put up with this.   

Previously: State audit nicks Corfu Fire Department for undocumented expenditures