Crime & Safety
Wild Police Chase In Orange County Leads To Clues In Clarkstown Robbery
State police say crack-smoking man led them on four-mile chase.
A wild police chase in Orange County has led to the arrest of a Poughkeepsie man on drug and theft-related charges and has provided clues into a robbery in Clarkstown, State Police said Thursday.
In addition to the charges against Edward A. Itchkawitz, 47, of 24 Snow Terrace, Apt. 107, Poughkeepsie, from the chase, police said Itchkawitz is under investigation for a robbery in which a woman's pocketbook was stolen at the ShopRite in West Nyack.
The chase took place on Wednesday, when police said Itchkawitz failed to pull over as state troopers tried to stop him on I-84 in Newburgh in Orange County. Police said Itchkawitz was smoking crack cocaine during the four-mile-long chase and struck a State Police cruiser. Itchkawitz's car stopped when it struck the center median barrier on I-84, police said.
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Trooper said that when they pulled Itchkawitz out of his car, he was still smoking his crack pipe.
State Police said troopers searched Itchkawitz's car and found several stolen credit cards and a forged personal check. Police said that those stolen items came from separate crimes that took place in Westchester and Rockland Counties. Clarkstown police detectives are investigating Itchkawitz in connection with the West Nyack robbery, in which a car just like his was involved.
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Itchkawitz was arraigned in Newburgh Town Court by Judge Jude Martin, who ordered Itchkawitz held in the Orange County Jail in Goshen without bail. Itchkawitz is scheduled to appear at a Town Court hearing on Monday.
Itchkawitz was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th degree, obstructing governmental administration 2nd degree, resisting arrest, unlawful fleeing in a motor vehicle 3rd degree, operating a motor vehicle impaired by drugs 1st degree, reckless driving, possession of a forged instrument 2nd degree, three counts of criminal possession of stolen property 4th degree and felony parole violation.
Police said Itchkawitz is expected to face additional charges.
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