Croton Cops: Sweepstakes Scam, Holiday Packages Stolen from Stoop

You're a Winner! Not.

An 81-year-old Sunset Trail resident received a call she reported to police as a scam. The woman was informed by a man calling himself James Wilson, CEO of the Sweepstakes Clearing House, that she had won $2.5 million. 

All she had to do to claim the money was send Wilson a Western Union money order for $250. 

She didn't.

Teen Trespassers

Someone called Croton police to report on Nov. 27 that a group of teens were in Croton Landing Park at 1 a.m.

Police arrived to find three 18-year-olds, whom they informed about park hours and sent on their way. 

"Stolen" Car Was Found

A car reported stolen and being invested as a grand larceny recently was really more of an "unauthorized use," said Det. Paul Camillieri. 

Police found the car on Nov. 27 at 12:45 p.m. in the Phelps Memorial Hospital lot. The owner declined to press any charges. 

Apparently she had lent the car to a friend and didn't know he was using it to drive himself to the hospital. He had not returned it.

"She got her car back, so she's happy," Camillieri said. 

Gun Work

Sometimes even the simpler assignments of police work sound interesting.


Croton detectives joined Briarcliff Manor detectives on Nov. 27 to retrieve a few handguns from a bank. 

These were guns, "legal at one time," whose owner had died, Camillieri explained. They were kept in a safe deposit box in a Briarcliff Manor bank, "and it took a while to access the safe."

The guns have been secured at police headquarters. 

Holiday Package Missing 

It's a postal time of year and thieves may take advantage of one crime of opportunity - holiday parcels left on doorsteps. 

A Brooklyn resident told Croton police on Nov. 28 that she had sent a box of clothes to her mother residing at Half Moon Bay. UPS confirmed they delivered the package to the residence but the mother said she never got it.

The contents were valued at $200.

Disturbance at the Watergate

Police received a call on Nov. 30 at 12:09 a.m. that there was a disturbed person in the Watergate Motel. Hotel staff said they needed police assistance as he was possibly suicidal and possibly armed. 

State Police had the man in custody when Croton police arrived and the scene was cleared. Croton police didn't have further information on whether the man did have a weapon or not.

Criminal Mischief

A Sunset Drive resident who had parked their car in the road reported to police that they later discovered it with two flat tires. 

The caller, 62, said on Dec. 1 that she had checked the car the night before and it was fine. In the morning, two tires were flat.