On April 26, 2024, at approximately 3:40 pm, a deputy on routine patrol observed a vehicle being operated with an expired inspection sticker. The deputy conducted a traffic stop in the area of Route 6 and 312 in the Town of Southeast. The driver, 20-year-old Christopher Piarulli of Carmel, was found to have warrants from the Sheriff's Office, the New York State Police East Fishkill and Somers barracks. The Sheriff's Office warrant was for leading deputies in a pursuit in January when he refused to pull over for a traffic stop.
He was arrested on the Sheriff's Office warrant for Unlawfully Fleeing a Police Officer, a class A misdemeanor, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation, and numerous other Vehicle and Traffic Law charges.
Piarulli was transported to the Town of Southeast Court, where he was arraigned and ROR'd. He was subsequently turned over to troopers from the State Police for their warrants.
Also, on April 26 at approximately 5:20 pm, a broadcast was put out by Putnam County 911 to law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout (BOLO) for a vehicle that was wanted by the NYPD for a robbery investigation and was heading northbound on I684. A deputy who was in the area located the vehicle on Route 22 in Southeast and began to follow it. With the assistance of additional members of the Sheriff's Office and New York State Police, the vehicle was stopped, and the occupants were taken into custody.
The driver, 48-year-old Omar Rodriguez Aponte of Homestead, Florida, was charged with Possession of Burglar's Tools, a class A misdemeanor, and was issued an appearance ticket for a future court date in the Town of Southeast Court.
The two passengers, Diego Bustos Escobar, 38 years of age, and Michal Alba Rincon, 39 years old, both from Queens, NY, were also charged with Possession of Burglar's Tools. Additionally, they were each charged with the felony of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the 2nd degree for having fake Mexican driver's licenses and with the misdemeanor False Personation for giving a fake name when arrested. Escobar was determined to have a felony warrant from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, and he was held in the Putnam County Correctional Facility pending his extradition to California. Rincon was held for arraignment and was ROR'd after his court appearance to return for a future court date.