Concerns Rise Over ‘Troublesome’ Mt. Kisco Mugging of 82-Year-Old Man
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
An early morning robbery of an 82-year-old man earlier this month in Mount Kisco has sparked concern over why information was slow to be made public and whether village officials tried to cover up the incident.
The Oct. 3 robbery occurred at 6:01 a.m. on Main Street near T.J. Maxx, according to Westchester County police. Two suspects, both Mount Kisco residents, were arrested a short time later after the victim was able to provide police with a description.
Yeferson Rivera-Cruz, 21, of Lexington Avenue and Heiman Lope-Rax, 22, of East Hyatt Avenue were charged with second-degree robbery, a felony. Rivera-Cruz had outstanding warrants for his arrests inside and outside Mount Kisco and faces multiple additional charges.
Police said that the victim was approached from behind by two men while he was walking. One of the suspects allegedly grabbed him around the chest and pinned his arms to his side while the other subject went through his pockets. After a struggle, the two men fled and the man quickly called police.
The victim provided police with a description of the robbers and told authorities he believed one of the assailants had a knife, police said. They had been seen fleeing toward Northern Westchester Hospital.
Police said officers canvassed the area and within minutes they spotted two men who fit the description of the suspects provided by the victim on Lexington Avenue near Smith Street. The victim who was uninjured in the attack.
No weapon was found in their possession, police said.
Mayor Michael Cindrich said the victim, who was not identified by police, is a “prominent” person in the community, which may have contributed to suspicion among community members. He said he spoke to the victim, but did not reveal his identity.
“The incident was troublesome, but the real issue, it was suggested that I was covering it up,” said Cindrich, who dismissed the claim. “Obviously, it’s a black eye on the village.”
Police were unable to provide bail information or whether the suspects are currently incarcerated. They had been arraigned in Mount Kisco Justice Court on Oct. 3.
The Westchester County District Attorney’s office confirmed Tuesday that Rivera-Cruz has been held in Westchester County Jail in Valhalla since his arraignment; however, Lope-Rax was released on his own recognizance because of no prior arrests. Both men are scheduled for their next court appearance this Thursday.
Cindrich, a retired police lieutenant, said he didn’t know why the county police failed to disclose the information sooner, particularly because police did a “great job” in quickly apprehending the suspects. Westchester County police generally transmit selected Mount Kisco blotter entries to The Examiner on Friday stretching back about a week, but no blotter was received that week.
Incidents around Mount Kisco have been catching the attention of residents who have chimed in on local social media pages, including on this incident. There have also been incidents on the village’s trails, Cindrich said, but more officers are not necessarily the answer.
“I’m looking at this from afar, we could put three, four, five more people on patrol at any given time, and something like this wouldn’t be prevented,” Cindrich said.
In addition to the robbery charge, Rivera-Cruz also faces second-degree criminal contempt, third-degree assault, criminal obstruction of breathing, endangering the welfare of a child and fourth-degree criminal mischief. An additional charge felony charge of second-degree escape from custody after being arrested was added, the district attorney’s office said.
He also had a warrant for a petty larceny charge in Cortlandt. Three years ago, in a report by The Putnam Examiner, Rivera-Cruz had been arrested by the Town of Kent Police Department in Putnam County and charged with two counts of second-degree menacing and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child after he pulled a knife on his girlfriend and her mother.
This article has been updated after the Westchester County District Attorney’s office responded and provided additional information.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
