Most major police activity was down this February compared to the same period in 2024, although overall calls to police saw a noticeable spike, police department data shows.
Rye police made four arrests in February, down from the seven suspects taken into custody over that period last year.
Carlos Varela-Pichardo, 33, was arrested on Feb. 1 for attempting to steal a Rye resident’s car keys and later resisting police and being uncooperative during a traffic stop. He was charged with a felony.
On Feb. 8, Jonathan Soto was booked for drunk driving when he caused a two-car crash on Playland Access Drive during a snowstorm. It wasn’t Soto’s first alcohol-related offense; he has a previous DWI conviction from a 2021 arrest by New York State Police in Mamaroneck which makes this second DWI offense a felony.
Four days later, on Feb. 12, Lawrence Marks was charged with a misdemeanor after failing a breathalyzer test after police caught up to him following reports of erratic driving on Midland Avenue and Sylvan Place.
Roberto Robles was busted while entering I-95 southbound near Boston Post Road and High Street on Feb. 25 for possession of a stolen license plate, driving with a suspended license and operating a vehicle without a required breathalyzer device, all misdemeanors. His arrest was classified as a misdemeanor.
Dating back to 2015, Robles has been arrested eight times in several communities in Westchester County.
All of the cases of those accused are still open, according to a Rye City Court spokesperson.
Even with the downturn in arrests, calls for police were up considerably in February, according to year-over-year data. The Rye PD received 2,236 service calls in total, a 50% increase from the 1,496 calls made last February. But the number still falls short of the 2,506 calls logged to police in January.
Traffic stops decreased by 15 percent in February, from 196 to 166, year-over-year data shows. The number of stops last month was also down from the 208 police made in January.
February also saw city code complaints decline by 43 percent, from 23 to 13, compared to February 2024.
As a result, there were nine summonses issued in February 2024 for city code complaints and only one issued this February, police data shows. There was one leaf blower complaint this February and none over the same period last year.
