REMOTE SUPPORT
Please find and view the most up to date news and information regarding the Town of New Windsor Police Department listed below.
The Town of New Windsor Police Department recently responded to a call of illegal dumping in the area of Forge Hill Road and Butternut Drive. Upon arrival, officers located a pile of construction debris that was dumped in the area of Brewster’s Forge, an Orange County Park and historical landmark.
On January 13th, the Town of New Windsor Buildings & Grounds Department responded and removed all of the garbage from the area of Brewster’s Forge. The next day, members of the Orange County Department of Public Works responded and placed large boulders to prevent vehicles from being able to travel down the path from Forge Hill Road, to Brewster’s Forge. This will hopefully prevent anymore illegal dumping upon this historical site, without preventing residents from parking and accessing the area on foot. The New Windsor Police Department appreciates the assistance of the New Windsor Buildings & Grounds staff and the Orange County Department of Public Works in helping to improve and preserve this historical landmark.
On June 15th, 2021, the Town of New Windsor Police Department along with the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the City and Town of Newburgh Police Departments, the New York State Police and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Group executed a court authorized search warrant at a residence on Belle Court in the Town of New Windsor. This search warrant was the result of a two month-long investigation into the illegal possession of narcotics by an individual residing at this residence.
This search resulted in the seizure of 197 grams of crack cocaine, 138 grams of powdered cocaine and approximately $15,000 in U.S. Currency.
Bobby J. Allen, age 55 of New Windsor NY, was arrested and charged federally with narcotics crimes. He was transported to the Hudson Valley Office of the FBI and is awaiting presentation to the Southern District Court in White Plains later today. He faces a minimum of 10-years in a federal penitentiary if convicted.
New Windsor Police Chief Robert L. Doss stated, “Today’s arrest further demonstrates the focus of this police department on public safety. Mr. Allen has shown society that he is a very dangerous criminal. He already has six felony convictions on his record and he was out of prison on New York State Parole for a firearm conviction when he decided it would be a good idea to come to New Windsor and deal illegal narcotics. That was a big mistake. He is now facing ten years in federal prison for his actions. The message here is clear. If you are dealing illegal narcotics in New Windsor, we will find you and you will be brought to justice. I want to thank our federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement partners for their support and valued assistance in this case.”
The New Windsor Police Department will not be releasing a booking photograph of Mr. Allen due to it being prohibited under New York Public Officers Law, Section 89, which was amended in mid-2019 to prohibit the release of booking photographs due to it being an “unwarranted invasion of personal privacy” unless it serves a legitimate Law Enforcement purpose.
A criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
On February 6th, 2025, the Town of New Windsor Police Department, along with the New York State Police, New York State Office of the Professions, and the Town of New Windsor Building Department, conducted an undercover investigation into prostitution and unlicensed/illegal massages being conducted at several locations throughout the Town of New Windsor.
This investigation was initiated after the Town of New Windsor Police Department received continued complaints from local residents and local businesses reporting suspicious activity occurring at these locations.
The following persons were arrested at the following businesses: Vivi Spa – 3141 Rt 9W Suite 600 - Kun Jhao, 37, of Syosset, NY – Unauthorized Practice of a Profession and Prostitution - Hongshuang Yu, 37, of Syosset, NY – Promoting Prostitution 3rd Degree - Nathan Rhodes, 40, of Long Branch, NJ – Promoting Prostitution 3rd Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th Degree Sun & Moon Spa – 357 Old Forge Hill Rd Suite 900 - Hongyu Quan, 58, of Flushing, NY – Unauthorized Practice of a Profession and Prostitution A & A Spa – 357 Windsor Hwy - In Ok Smith, 59, of East Haven, CT – Unauthorized Practice of a Profession and Prostitution All defendants were released on appearance tickets and are scheduled to appear in the Town of New Windsor Justice Court on March 11th, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. The Town of New Windsor Building Department shut down the Vivi Spa at 3141 Rt 9W pending compliance with regulations. Building code violations were issued to the Sun & Moon Spa and A & A Spa.
Police Chief Daniel Valeri stated, “We will continue to use all legal remedies available to combat unlawful activities conducted within the town.”
Town Supervisor Stephen Bedetti added, “My message to these illegal businesses is simple. Do not reopen and leave the Town of New Windsor. I have directed the New Windsor Police Department to use every legal path to continually shut down these illegal businesses in our town. Last night, our Police Department and other assisting agencies once again professionally handled this enforcement, a job well done by them."
New Windsor Police Continue to Crackdown on Local Spas ; Issued August 22, 2024
On August 9 and August 22, 2024 the New Windsor Police Department Detective Division, in conjunction with Investigators from the New York State Office of Professional Enforcement, conducted a follow-up joint investigation into unlicensed/illegal massages being conducted at several locations throughout the Town of New Windsor. This investigation resulted in the arrests of (3) persons; each charged with (1) count of Unauthorized Practice of a Profession, under the NYS Education Law – Section 6512 (Class E Felony).
None of the defendants held professional licenses, as required by law, to practice the services offered.
The following persons were arrested at the following businesses:
On August 9, 2024:
Massage Spa – 3141 US Route 9W Qing Li, 47, of Flushing, NY
On August 22, 2024:
A&A Spa – 357 Windsor Highway Jung Kim, 63, of Jackson, NJ
Sun & Moon Spa – 357 Old Forge Hill Rd Geumsun Yi, 55, of Flushing, NY
All three defendants were released on appearance tickets and are scheduled to appear in the Town of New Windsor Justice Court; Li on September 10th 2024 at 2:00p.m., and Kim and Yi on September 12, 2024 at 10:00a.m.
During the investigation several building code violations were also observed and all three buildings were condemned by the New Windsor Building Department.
This investigation is a follow-up to a joint undercover operation conducted in June of this year after the Town of New Windsor Police Department received complaints from local residents and businesses reporting suspicious activity occurring at these locations. Two individuals were arrested at that time.
Supervisor Bedetti stated: “Thank you to the New Windsor Police Department, Fire Inspectors, and the New York State Office of Professional Enforcement for another job well done in shutting down these illegal massage parlors. Keeping these types of businesses out of New Windsor is a top priority of mine, and we will continue to use all legal enforcement means to make sure they cannot reopen.”
On January 29, 2020, New Windsor Police Officer Brian McLean spoke with the local Girl Scouts troop about his duties as the department’s K-9 Officer. Officer McLean, who is a 23-year veteran of the police force, has been a member of the K-9 unit for 16 years. His current K-9 partner is named Soto and he is a German Sheppard that is 7 years old. In 2019, Officer McLean and K-9 Sato handled 119 calls for the department. These calls include many areas of responsibility such as: Investigating alarms, building searches, tracking missing persons and sniffing for illegal drugs. Thank you for all that you do for the Town Officer McLean!
This is a joint press release by the New Windsor Police Dept. and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Release Date – September 23, 2020: The Town of New Windsor Police Department arrested a man today following an ongoing investigation into a hit and run motor vehicle crash. The crash involved multiple parked cars in a parking lot off of State Route 300 in New Windsor and no one was injured in the crash. Immediately after receiving a report of the crash, New Windsor police officers located the motor vehicle that caused the accident and its operator several miles away after it had fled the scene. As part of their investigation, the officers found the vehicle’s operator to be in possession of substances that they believed to be illegal drugs. The vehicle operator identified himself as a police officer and he stated that he was in possession of the substances in his official capacity as a police officer. Further investigation determined that the driver did not legally possess the substances as part of his police authority and lab confirmation determined that the substances involved were in fact a quantity of cocaine and a hallucinogenic drug known as MDMA. Arrested was: Carlos Mendez, age 41 of Middletown, NY. Mr. Mendez is employed by the City of Newburgh Police Department as a Police Officer. He was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the 4th degree (D-class felony), Criminal possession of a controlled substance in the 7th degree (A-class misdemeanor), official misconduct (A-class misdemeanor) and leaving the scene of a property damage motor vehicle accident (traffic infraction). He was arraigned before Town Justice Noreen Calderin and released as required by state law with no bail and a mandatory appearance ticket to appear in town court on October 13, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. for further court action. New Windsor Police Chief Robert Doss stated, “Every police officer takes an oath of office when they are appointed to their position and when that oath is violated, it falls upon other police officers to hold the line and do what is right. That is exactly what happened in this case. No one is above the law, especially police officers. I commend the New Windsor police officers that investigated this complaint to its fullest extent and I would expect nothing less from them.” Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler stated, “I thank the Town of New Windsor Police Department for their professionalism and diligence on this case. It is always disappointing when there is an allegation that a police officer has engaged in criminal conduct, and even more so when it is alleged that an officer has used his badge to attempt to hide from his crimes. No one is above the law. Thankfully, instances of police officers committing the types crimes alleged here are rare, particularly here in Orange County, where the vast majority of our police officers behave honorably and legally in risking their lives every day to keep our residents and property safe. When allegations of criminal police misconduct are made, they must be diligently investigated and acted upon.”
The New Windsor Police Department will not be releasing the booking photograph in this case due to it being prohibited under New York Public Officers Law, Section 89, which was amended in mid-2019 to prohibit the release of booking photographs due to it being an “unwarranted invasion of personal privacy”. A criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Orange County News For Immediate Release Contact: Christopher Borek November 6, 2020 845.291.3276, 845.238.4245c
District Attorney Hoovler Announces Murder Charges
In Death of Missing City of Newburgh Woman
Man Indicted for Murdering 36-Year-Old Woman
Victim Missing Since November 3, 2019
Body of Victim Not Recovered
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced on Friday, November 6, 2020, that Matthew Mercado, 37, of Newburgh, was arraigned before Orange County Court Judge William L. DeProspo on charges including Murder in the Second Degree, in connection with the death of 36-year-old Jessica Lopez, a City of Newburgh woman who was last seen on November 3, 2019, at the Windsor Motel in the Town of New Windsor.
Mercado had previously been indicted on charges including Burglary in the Second Degree for breaking into room 32 of the Windsor Motel on November 3, 2019, at about 1:35 AM, and stealing two bags from the three young woman who had been sleeping in the room at the time. Mercado has been continually incarcerated since his arrest on November 6, 2019, in connection with those charges. The District Attorney’s Office superseded that case in the Grand Jury and asked the Grand Jury to consider additional evidence concerning the disappearance of Jessica Lopez, who had been staying with Mercado in room 33 of the Windsor Motel the night of Saturday, November 2, 2019, into the morning of Sunday, November 3, 2019. The Grand Jury indicted Mercado for Murder in the Second Degree for intentionally killing Jessica Lopez in room 33 of the motel as Ms. Lopez was attempting to leave the motel at approximately 5:00 AM on November 3, 2019. The Grand Jury also indicted Mercado for a separate count of Murder in the Second Degree for having killed Ms. Lopez during the commission of a robbery or kidnapping of her. Robbery under the law is forcibly stealing property. Mercado is charged with two counts of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree for having stolen Ms. Lopez bank card and stealing approximately $1,500 from her account, most of which was taken out in ATM withdrawals starting at approximately 9:00 AM on November 3, 2019.
Mercado is also charged with three felony counts of Tampering with Physical Evidence. One count alleges that he removed Ms. Lopez’s body from room 33, placed her in the trunk of her car, drove the car to an unknown location and concealed the body. Another count alleges that he deleted text messages between her cellular telephone and his cellular telephone, messages that were sent at about 5:30 AM on November 3, 2019. The third count of Tampering with Physical Evidence alleges that he disposed of Ms. Lopez’s cellular telephone so it could not be used as evidence.
The Grand Jury indicted Mercado again for Burglary in the Second Degree for breaking into room 32 and stealing bags from the three young woman, and added a charge of Criminal Impersonation in the Second Degree for Mercado having told the three young woman that he would not give their bags back and that he was an undercover police officer.
Bail was set in the amount of one-million dollars cash, or three-million dollars secured bond, or ten-million dollars partially secured bond. The case is next scheduled for a virtual conference in County Court on December 2, 2020. Mercado faces up to twenty-five years to life in state prison on the charges of Murder in the Second Degree and up to an additional fifteen years in state prison on the charge of Burglary in the Second Degree.
District Attorney Hoovler highly commended the Town of New Windsor Police Department for their investigation and unceasing efforts in the case, as well as the many law enforcement agencies that aided in the investigation, including the Town of Newburgh Police Department, the City of Newburgh Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police, and the New York State Police, as well as the civilian volunteers who have searched for Jessica Lopez.
“By all accounts Jessica Lopez was a remarkable young woman and her loss is being severely felt by her family, friends, and many of her former students,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “While recovering her remains will continue to be a high priority for us, we are fully prepared to litigate this case even without her body being recovered. Murder convictions without bodies are permissible under the law and in fact such convictions have occurred before here in Orange County. My heartfelt condolences go out to Ms. Lopez’s family, and my office will do everything in our power to see that the person responsible for her death faces just punishment.”
Chief Robert Doss of the Town of New Windsor Police Department said, “I would like to thank every member of the New Windsor Police Department that worked so diligently on this investigation. It is because of their hard work, along with the assistance of all the other police agencies, that made a difference in this case. I also want to thank District Attorney David Hoovler and his staff for their unwavering support through the process. We will never forget the family of Jessica Lopez, who have been without her in their lives for over a year now. Her mother, father and brother, all live with the constant pain of her loss. I speak for every member of Law Enforcement that worked on this investigation when I say that we stand with them and we will continue to fight for Jessica every day until justice is brought in this case. Our hearts go out to her family and we will continue to pray for them. It is my hope that the news of this indictment will at least begin the process of closure to Jessica’s family and everyone that knew her.”
The case is being prosecuted by Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher Borek and Senior Assistant District Attorney Kelle Grimmer.
Jessica Lopez