pembroke

Leon C. Bloom, Jr., 27, who has no permanent address, was arrested last night at 11:40 p.m. for allegedly violating an order of protection. Bloom reportedly went to the residence of the protected person. Bloom is being held on $1,000 bail.

Chad D. Vanburen, Jr., 18, of Lockport, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Vanburen was stopped for allegedly speeding in Pembroke when deputies reportedly found he had marijuana with him. He was issued an appearance ticket.

When Jeffrey D. Bald, 27, of Wolcott Street in LeRoy, allegedly fled from police following a reported domestic disturbance, he did more than just send law enforcement officers on a chase, he also reportedly disrupted 9-1-1 service for the village.

Bald reportedly lost control of his vehicle on Myrtle Street and struck a utility pole. That accident caused disruption to the emergency call service, which has now been restored.

UPDATE: We just received this correction from Chris Hayward, chief of police: 

911 service still an issue.  Frontier working on it and they hope to have it resolved by this afternoon.  911 calls being forwarded to 768-2527, if that is busy calls then route to the County.  If they call 911 and still experience a problem call 768-2527 directly. 

Events began around 9:15 p.m. at Bald's residence, where police were called because of a possible domestic dispute.  En route to the residence, police say they spotted Bald driving from the scene on Wolcott.

Bald reportedly drove into the intersection of Route 5, turning westbound on Route 5, nearly striking another vehicle head-on.

Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but Bald reportedly headed the wrong way down Bacon Street. Upon reaching Route 19, Bald reportedly drove his car southbound to Myrtle Street, which is where he apparently lost control.

Bald then reportedly attempted to flee the scene on foot and he was taken into custody about a half mile from the site of the accident.

Police report speeds in the vehicle chase never exceeded 50 m.p.h.

Bald is charged with DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation, resisting arrest and leaving the scene of a property damage accident, along with other violations. He is being held in Genesee County Jail on $5,000 bail.

Amanda Wittmann, 21, of Bennington, is charged with rape. Wittmann is accused of sexual relations with a 16-year-old in Washington, where authorities issued a warrant for her arrest. She was arrested in Pembroke.

Micahel Innes, 55, of Rochester, is likely going to pay more for his untaxed cigarettes than he anticipated. Yesterday, Innes was stopped in Oakfield for an alleged traffic violation. A Sheriff's deputy noticed more than 400 cigarettes in his car, which is a violation of New York State tax code. Innes will appear in Oakfield Town Court to answer the charges June 8.

Lamarr Randell, 23, of Buffalo, was stopped for allegedly speeding in Pembroke. Deputies report they found marijuana in his possession.  He was cited for both alleged violations.

Timothy Mcjury, 21, of Alexander, is charged with petty larceny for allegedly shoplifting at Home Depot in Batavia.

Joseph Henrick, 59, of Stafford, is accused of violating an order of protection. He is charged with criminal contempt.

Derek Hagen submitted this video with the following message.

Okay I go to Pembroke Jr/Sr high school and me and my friends made a video entry to submit to the Digital Media Arts Festival and its run by BOCES and they had disqualified our video, only 16 days before the competition. I was just wondering if you could post the video and see if users agree or disagree that it should have been disqualified.

I immediately e-mailed Derek to find out why the video was disqualified. He has not responded.

This morning I spoke with Gary Mix, superintendent of the Pembroke Central School District. He wasn't aware of this particular video or why it was disqualified.

If you watch the video, you might pick up on three possible reasons: portrayal of a drunk student, the murder/suicide theme or the overall quality of the production.

Sharon Kaiser, coordinator, learning technologies at BOCES said she was aware of the video but didn't know it had been disqualified or why, she said. She said she wasn't handling that part of the festival.

Mix noted that Supreme Court cases have upheld a school's right to limit student expression in school sponsored activities. Reasons for limiting speech can include vulgarity, sexual innuendo and of course the school maintains an anti-alcohol and anti-drug stance.

"Over the years there has been a perception that students have unlimited free speech," Mix said, "but there are some constraints."

He added, "What I hope would not get lost in the discussion is that through the Media Arts Festival there is a tremendous opportunity to integrate across curriculum. We can include literature, social studies, arts and music and give students a chance to showcase their creativity. It's a tremendous opportunity for students."

A reader sent an e-mail this afternoon asking why we didn't have information today on the full-engulfed house fire on Lake Road in Pembroke last night.

It was news to me. There was no press release, WBTA didn't have the story and neither did the Daily.

Tim Yaeger, office of Emergency Management, said the fire was a routine Monday night training drill.

"It was a house that was damaged in a fire last summer," Yaeger said. "It was used for training purposes."

Our reader writes:

I saw it burning, the entire place was engulfed. I have never seen a house go  up like that one seemed to. The flames were on the outside and going from the  ground up on every wall. Usually houses burn and have some part at least on  the outside without visible flames but not this one. It was a scary scene. 

Too bad we don't have pictures.

UPDATE: The picture below was submitted by Peter Sformo.

The teen-age driver a 1991 Dodge sedan suffered a minor injury in a single-vehicle accident this morning in Pembroke.

Genevieve K. Sprague, 18, complained of back pain after the accident at 2508 Route 5, 200 feet east of West Avenue.

For an unreported reason, Sprague drove the vehicle off the road, struck a utility poll and fence.

A passenger in the vehicle, Michelle Sprague, age unknown, was not hurt the crash.

Both women are from Batavia. The accident was reported at 6:28 a.m.

Eric Bastian, 25, of Macedon, was arrested in Bergen Monday and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Bastian was reportedly driving on Route 262 when a Sheriff's Deputy stopped him for allegedly driving with improperly tinted windows and a partially obscured license plate. When the deputy approached the vehicle, he said he could smell marijuana coming from the vehicle. Upon questioning, Bastian stated it was marijuana, according to the deputy's report. A field test also confirmed that the substance found in the car was marijuana. Bastian was issued a ticket and ordered to appear in court on April 8.

Jason Smith, 30, of Ontario, was arrested for alleged unlawful possession of marijuana following a traffic stop near Oak and Main streets in Batavia. Smith was allegedly speeding. When a Sheriff's deputy approached the vehicle, the deputy could reportedly smell the smoke and then observed smoke in the car. A field test of the substance in the car reportedly confirmed it was marijuana. Smith was issued an appearance ticket for April 8 in the City of Batavia.

James P. Cox, 46, of Pembroke, was arrested for alleged DWI after a witness allegedly observed him hit another vehicle in Erie County. The witness helped Erie and Genesee County Sheriff's deputies track and find Cox. Cox was stopped on Route 5 in Pembroke. He is charged with aggravated DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. He received additional moving violation tickets. Cox must now appear in courts in both Pembroke and Newstead.

James P. Coles, 30, of Darian, was arrested by Batavia Police yesterday for allegedly violating an order of protection the day before. Coles is accused of sending text messages to, and then showing up at the residence of the protected person. He is being held in lieu of $1,000 bail.

A 17-year-old from Bergen was picked up by Sheriff's Deputies yesterday and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. The teen was allegedly found in possession of marijuana in the Village of Bergen municipal parking lot.

Andrew J. Ashley, 22, of Le Roy, was arrested in connection with an alleged altercation on March 15 in which Ashley reported punched another person in the face. The victim suffered a broken nose and a cut cornea. Ashley is charged with assault in the third degree.

Neil H. Farley III, 18, of Elba and his 17-year-old brother were arrested at their Ridge Road home Friday evening for allegedly throwing an under-age drinking party. The 17-year-old was allegedly found in possession of marijuana and several marijuana pipes were reportedly found in his room. Both are charged with unlawfully dealing with children in the first degree.

Kevin E. Moscicki, 21, of Oakfield, was arrested Saturday morning in Batavia and charged with DWI. The Sheriff's office reports that Moscicki's vehicle was observed making an unsafe lane change and an improper right turn, which led to a traffic stop.  Further investigation revealed Moscicki was allegedly operating the vehicle while intoxicated. He was charged with driving with at BAT .08 or more.

Gregory L. Brennan, 40, of Batavia was charged with DWI following a traffic stop on Slusser Road in Pembroke. He is accused of driving with a BAT .08 or greater and operating a motor vehicle without a license. Brennan was arrested early Sunday morning.

Robbie J. Stanton, 31, of Batavia, is charged with a felony DWI and operating a vehicle with a revoked license following a traffic stop in Pembroke Saturday morning.

Joseph M. Menas, 30, of Elba, was arrested and charged with DWI Thursday night after the Sheriff's office received a report of a car of the road on Route 98. When deputies arrived, the driver was not with the vehicle. Menas was subsequently found at a nearby residence. He is charged with DWI and aggravated DWI.

BATAVIA, N.Y. -- County officials are concerned that the closure of the Pembroke Plaza service area on the Thruway is costing the county sales tax revenue and they're looking to the state for help.

It's impossible to estimate the potential lose in fuel and sales tax because precise business tax information is confidential, according to County Manager Jay Gsell, but such taxes are an important source of revenue for the county.

The issue was raised by Legislator Mary Pat Hancock at Monday's Public Safety Committee meeting and Legislator Jay Grasso accepted the assignment of talking with State Sen. Mike Ranzenhofer.

Grasso works part-time for Ranzenhofer.

"Our first approach is to go through the appropriate channels as far as seeking insight or getting in touch with the right people," Gsell said.

One option, Gsell said, is to convince the Thruway Authority to erect signs letting people know fuel and convenience stores are located at Exit 48-A.

"It's a fairly close alternative," Gsell said. "Pricingwise, it's more competitive, or that's our anecdotal understanding, than what you might typically get at a rest stop."

Directing drivers to an alternative stop in Genesee County will help keep some of that revenue in the County, Gsell said.

Here's the section of the minutes covering the Pembroke Plaza issue:

Legislator Hancock reported that she became aware that the Thruway Gas Plaza in Pembroke was being closed today for renovations and it could remain closed for “several months.” This could have a big impact on Genesee County Sales Tax and she is anxious for everything possible to be done to try and redirect travelers to exit the thruway to make their gas purchases in Genesee County.  Closing this particular Plaza for gas sales means no gas from Angola to Scottsville which could be dangerous to travelers. It was the consensus of the Committee that Chair Grasso will speak to Senator Ranzenhofer to see what might be done to assist in this matter with the Thruway Authority.

I have a call into Jay Grasso to see if he has anything to add, or he can leave a comment.

UPDATE:  Jay Grasso called me as I was driving home, so I couldn't take notes. Hopefully, we can talk more later, but the main point is: A sign did happen to go up Monday evening suggesting 48-A as alternative.

When Scott Doll was arrested for the alleged murder of 66-year old Joseph Benaquist in Pembroke a few weeks back, it was at a time while he was preparing to run for mayor of Corfu.

Doll, who entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday, remains on the ballot because it was too late for the Republican party to take him of the ticket. Doll's family owned a supermarket in the village for years and he had only recently moved back to Corfu. He has no prior experience in government.

The only Genesee County village to hold an election on Wednesday is Corfu, so Doll is in jail and will make news for two reasons on that day. He is scheduled for a bail hearing, but will also be a choice for voters as he will be facing incumbent Todd Skeet in the election.

The Buffalo News today previews the Corfu elections, while also noting that Bergen, Elba, Le Roy and Oakfield do not hold elections this year while Alexander will be holding a meeting-type election in April.

 Scott Doll was arraigned in Genesee County Court Tuesday and entered a plea of not guilty.

Doll is the Corfu man that is charged with the murder of his friend and business parter, Joseph Benequist, on Feb. 16. 

Doll's attorneys asked judge Robert Noonan to allow him to post bail because he is a custodial parent to his 17-year old daughter, has a clean record and can afford the bail. 

"He's going to make every court appearance," Attorney Paul Cambria says in Daily News reporter Paul Mrozek's story. Doll, if released pending trial, will wear an ankle bracelet that can track his whereabouts with a global positioning system, his attorney said.

Doll is facing life in prison if convicted of the killing and Noonan has scheduled a bail application hearing for Wednesday, March 18.

LOCKPORT, N.Y. -- A Lockport man apparently thought he found a clever way to supplement his income.

John J. Taylor, 54, of Lockport, was arrested Feb. 3 for allegedly walking into supermarkets and claiming that employees spilled milk on him, and then receiving money and gift cards to reimburse him for his cleaning bills.

He has been charged with scheme to defraud in the second degree and released on a ticket to appear in court March 16.

Among the locations he is accused of attempting his scheme is the rest stop market in Pembroke. Other reported locations: Lockport, Clarence, Williamsville, Attica, Silver Creek and Seneca Falls.

State police said, "The investigation revealed that Taylor has contacted numerous supermarkets, restaurants, retail stores and convenience stores in the past several years attempting to obtain money or gift cards for fraudulent complaints."

Scott F. Doll has been indicted by a grand jury today on a count of murder in the second-degree, Genesee County District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said. Doll is accused of killing his business associate and acquaintance, Joseph A. Benaquist, who was found beaten to death in the driveway of his Pembroke home early Tuesday morning.

An arraignment has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, at 2:15 p.m. in county court.

Friedman explained by phone that second-degree murder is "what you usually hear about" in such homicide cases. "That is the intentional killing of another person," he said. That is to be distinguished from first-degree murder, which would involve an intentional killing of a police officer or a judge, for example.

No weapon has been found yet, said Friedman. "But that's not necessary, just like a body is not necessary for a murder conviction. It is certainly something that will be looked for, but we can proceed without it."

It's still too early to say whether or not the case will go to trial. "It's the very beginning of the proceeding," said Friedman.

Doll was found walking along North Lake Road in Pembroke late Monday night "stained with fresh blood." A subsequent investigation led officers to the home of Benaquist, where they discovered the body. Doll was charged with second-degree murder the following afternoon.

Please see our initial post for the full details.

Officers were out at the scene today searching for the murder weapon in the death of Joseph Benaquist, Genesee County Sheriff Gary Maha said. Scott Doll is currently in custody on the charge of second-degree murder for allegedly beating Benaquist to death two nights ago.

Maha informed us that investigators were "searching the area" around Benaquist's home at 683 Knapp Road in Pembroke to "see if (the weapon) had been discarded by Mr. Doll." No weapon has yet been found. Investigators also have yet to determine a motive for the alleged homicide. Benaquist and Doll both served as corrections officers, and they were in an auto sales business together. Maha stressed, however, that a motive "does not need to be established."

The case against Doll is being prepared for a grand jury hearing tomorrow. District Attorney Lawrence Friedman will present the case for indictment. If the jury decides to indict, Doll will then be arraigned in county court.

We haven't yet connected with Friedman for more details on the grand jury appointment tomorrow.

We received the following statement from Corfu Mayor Todd Skeet by e-mail late last night. In full:

I would like to extend the sympathy and prayers of the entire community to the families affected by the recent tragedy in the Town of Pembroke.  We are a tightly knit community.  Now is the time to put their needs foremost in our hearts, minds and prayers.  We ask that everyone show the greatest respect for their privacy in the difficult days ahead.



Any requests for further official statements should be directed to the Genesee County Sheriff's office.  We ask that everyone be considerate and allow us all time to heal.

Murder suspect Scott F. Doll was recently endorsed by Republicans to run on their ticket for mayor in the village of Corfu.

Doll was arraigned earlier today on a felony count of second-degree murder in the death of his business associate and former colleague, Joseph E. Benaquist, who was found bludgeoned to death in his driveway early this morning.

Please see our initial post for the full details.

Corfu Village Clerk Sandra Thomas informed us that Doll had only recently moved back to the village and had no prior experience in the government there. He was endorsed by the Corfu Republicans during a caucus that was held on January 26. Elections for the village are scheduled for March 17.

We left a message for Mayor Todd Skeet. We have not yet heard back. We also tried to contact Andrea Vogler, who was listed as the chair of the Corfu Republicans on the caucus information that was supplied to the county.

Doll's family has been prominent in the Corfu community, where they owned "Doll's Super Duper grocery store" for 40 years, as Scott DeSmit reports for the Daily News.

Officials have yet to release any more information on the business ties between the two men. They have only said that the two were "in business together," and that they picked up used cars at an auction at Clarence which they then sold to customers in the area.

A check at the Genesee County Clerk's Office yielded no significant results when we searched for business information related to Doll and Benaquist. Doll was, however, listed on a financing statement for a loan from Automotive Financing Corp., along with the business SF Enterprizes, which had a listed address of 3 Corfu Plaza.

View Larger Map

This is a look into that plaza from Route 33. We drove through and did not see any signs for a business by the name of SF Enterprizes.

Investigators were absent from the scene of the alleged murder this afternoon at the home of Joseph Benaquist in Pembroke. A lone dog was to be found at the house, chained up out front of the garage.