Futile Flight Through Back Window Fails To Foil Waiting Police

MOUNT VERNON, NY — A Westchester man's flight from justice was extraordinarily short-lived, according to Westchester County police.

On Wednesday morning, around 7:30 a.m., Narcotics Unit detectives, assisted by other WCPD and Mount Vernon police officers, arrived at the suspect's home on Pearsall Drive to execute the search warrant.

Officials said the Mount Vernon man climbed out a first-floor window to try to elude officers knocking on his front door with a search warrant in hand. Unfortunately for him, other officers were waiting in back with handcuffs.

A loaded firearm was taken from his possession after a struggle, police said, which was found to be stolen in a burglary in New York City.

Once the man was in custody, a search of the home turned up quantities of heroin and cocaine, illegal handgun magazines, and components that could be assembled to make so-called "ghost guns," police said.

The 29-year-old suspect was charged with counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (because, police say, the firearm was loaded, because of the illegal ammo clips, and because he legally wasn't allowed to have a gun in the first place due to a previous criminal conviction). He was also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of stolen property, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration.

He was arraigned in Mount Vernon City Court and sent to the Westchester County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bail. The investigation, which is ongoing, was conducted with assistance from the WCPD Special Response Team and Forensic Investigations Unit; the FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office, and the Queens County District Attorney's Office.