Carmel Cops: Man Shoots at Neighbor's Home, Tries to 'Send a Message'

A 21-year-old Carmel man is facing charges in connection with gunshots fired—which prompted the occupants to hit the floor and turn off the lights—at a Mahopac home, officials say.

Curtis Dwyer, 21, is facing a felony charge of first-degree reckless endangerment and two misdemeanors: fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and illegal discharge of a firearm.

Carmel Police responded to the incident at about 11:20 p.m. Sunday. Once they arrived at the Curry Road home and interviewed the complainants, officials learned that approximately five gunshots were fired. A window was left shattered. No injuries were reported.

A forensic unit from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office responded to examine the bullet holes. Authorities—who responded to a burglary on that street earlier in the evening—canvassed the area but were unable to locate the perpetrator. Officials say a neighbor was suspected in the burglary.

"A Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit as well as the Carmel K-9 Unit was requested, and a track was conducted from the area in which the bullets were believed to be fired from," Carmel Police said in a statement. "The track by the Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit led to an adjacent residence on the same roadway while Detective Michael Russo was interviewing the original burglary victim, whose son was at the residence.

Upon interviewing a neighbor and her son, it was ascertained that the son had felt that the neighbor whose house had been struck by bullets may have burglarized his mother’s residence. Russo interviewed him further at Carmel Police headquarters and he advised the detective that he had fired the gunshots at the residence to send the neighbor a message. "

Police found a .38 caliber Charter Arms handgun, which was reportedly unregistered and purchased in Kentucky, at Dwyer's residence.

The defendant was arraigned before Carmel Town Justice Joseph Spofford and released pending an April 22 appearance in court. Orders of protection were issued for the victims, police said.