Second Safest City Blog

Ceslo Garcia, 19, of River Edge, was stabbed four times outside Fiesta Sunrise Restaurant across from the Palisades Center at 4am Sunday morning according to the Rockland Journal News.  The article is an interesting read, considering that Garcia claimed that he didn’t know his assailant, who attacked him for seemingly no good reason, and then fled in a 1998 Nissan Pathfinder (NY plate EJT 4546), which police said was registered to an address in Bridgeport, CT.

We wonder how a car with New York plates could be registered to an address in Connecticut. Ironically, Fiesta Sunrise sent out promotional bulk mail this week, which was likely set up long before this unfortunate event happened.

When a Clarkstown Police car equipped with automatic plate recognition spotted an Audi with stolen plates last night near Smith Rd in Nanuet, it could have been a routine arrest. But instead, the suspect stopped, and then fled, before being stopped by an Orangetown officer, and feeling yet again. The black Audi then proceeded onto the Thruway, where it raced across the span at over 100mph, weaving in and out of traffic. According to the Journal News, “By [the time the car reached the toll plaza], officers from Clarkstown were about halfway across the span, [...] and the chase was called off for safety reasons.”

The suspect managed to get away, and was not spotted by police in Westchester.

A new law in Rockland County will protect consumers from the sale of expired perishable foods. Amazingly, this was not already illegal.  According to the Journal News, “there are almost no laws governing the dates that appear on food and other products, except baby food and baby formulas, which must comply with federal laws”.  Under the new law, a health inspector would be able to order the store to dispose of expired food, as well as issue a notice of violation carrying a $250 fine for a first-time violator, or $1000 per item on a third or more violation.

Four young men from Spring Valley and Central Nyack were arrested this morning in the parking lot of the Central Nyack McDonald’s on Route 59.  According to the Journal News, the vehicle they were in was spotted by a Clarkstown police officer, looking for the vehicle after a resident on Mirth Dr in Valley Cottage spotted the group outside her home at 5:30am. When police found them, they were in possession of some of the items stolen in previous auto break-ins in the area, as well as a large cup of change.  Ironically, one of the four, Brian Jones of Central Nyack, played for Nyack High School’s basketball team, and was the team leader in steals.

Another three teens were detained today, suspected of breaking into autos in West Nyack, although police have not charged them yet. The teens were arrested 2:30am yesterday after a resident spotted them in a driveway.

At about 4 a.m. this morning, a bouncer was shot at the Liquid Ice teen night club in Nanuet, located off Route 59 near Grandview Ave. The Journal News reported that the bouncer was trying to intervene during a fight when he was shot. The bouncer was hospitalized with non-life-threatening wounds and is recovering.

Bryce LaPlaca, a 22 year old resident of South Nyack, pleaded guilty yesterday to falsely reporting that he was stabbed and to selling cocaine.  According to the Journal News, LaPlaca was arrested in November when he had his stepfather call police to report that two men had stabbed and robbed him near the corner of Lake Rd and Route 303.  Responding officer John Mahoney lost control of his car on Congers Rd while en route and crashed into a tree.  Mahoney suffered compound leg fractures, a fractured shoulder, broken hand and a head injury as a result of the crash.  Police then learned that LaPlaca had cut himself with the razor, then called his stepfather to tell him that he had been robbed.  LaPlaca was then arrested again last month when he sold cocaine to an undercover officer near the same location where he’d falsely reported being stabbed.