Sheriff Brian Hess announces the arrests of Frank V. Commisso, 35, of Newburgh, New York, and Hilary L. Rampe, 39, of Walden, New York, following a larceny and a high-speed vehicle pursuit that spanned more than 30 minutes across Putnam and Dutchess counties. The pursuit ended in the Town of Patterson after deputies successfully deployed the Grappler pursuit intervention device, the first successful deployment of the Grappler by a law enforcement agency in New York State.
On October 22, 2026, at approximately 6:38 PM, Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a larceny in progress at Tractor Supply on Route 311 in the Town of Patterson, where a male suspect was reported to have stolen several power tools before fleeing in a U-Haul van. Deputies were able to quickly identify and locate the suspects’ vehicle using license plate reader technology.
At approximately 6:50 PM, a deputy located the van in the Highlands shopping center on Independent Way in the Town of Southeast and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver refused to stop and fled, leading deputies on a pursuit onto Interstate 84 westbound at high rates of speed. The vehicle continued onto the Taconic State Parkway and into Dutchess County, traveling through the Town of East Fishkill before turning back toward Putnam County.
Shortly after the pursuit re-entered the Town of Patterson, deputies successfully deployed stop sticks on Route 311, deflating the van’s tires. Moments later, a deputy successfully deployed the Grappler, bringing the pursuit to a safe conclusion. Both occupants were taken into custody without further incident.
Commisso was charged with:
- Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle in the Third Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
- Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
- Petit Larceny, a Class A misdemeanor
- Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fifth Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
- Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
- Resisting Arrest, a Class A misdemeanor
- Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree (two counts), a Class A misdemeanor
- Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the Second Degree, an unclassified misdemeanor
- Reckless Driving, an unclassified misdemeanor
- Multiple vehicle and traffic infractions
Rampe was charged with:
- Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fifth Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
- Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor
- Resisting Arrest, a Class A misdemeanor
- Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree (two counts), a Class A misdemeanor
Both were processed at the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and are due to appear in the Town of Patterson Justice Court at a later date.
The Grappler is an advanced pursuit intervention tool designed to safely stop fleeing vehicles and bring dangerous pursuits to a swift conclusion. The Sheriff’s Office recently trained deputies on the device, which was purchased using asset forfeiture funds, at no cost to taxpayers.
“This is exactly why we invested in this technology,” said Sheriff Hess. “Our deputies stopped a dangerous pursuit, and thankfully, no members of our community were injured by the actions of these two individuals. I’m proud of the work of our deputies, our dispatchers, and our assisting agencies.”
The Sheriff’s Office thanks the Putnam County 911 dispatchers, the New York State Police, the Westchester-Putnam RTC, and all of our partner agencies for their outstanding work.
