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Crime

List of Charges Against 6 Individuals Arrested in Connection with Evergreen Fire

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NEW CITY, NY – At press conference on Wednesday, Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh announced the arrests of six individuals as a result of the multi-agency 3-month long investigation into the fatal fire in the Evergreen Assisted Living
Home on March 23, 2021, claiming the life of Volunteer Firefighter Jared Lloyd and a resident of the facility.

FULL LIST OF CHARGES:

Nathaniel Sommer

Manslaughter in the 2nd Degree (2 Counts)
Assault in the 2nd Degree (2 Counts)
Arson in the 4th Degree
Assault in the 3rd Degree (7 Counts)
Reckless Endangerment in the 2nd Degree (2 Counts)

Aaron Sommer

Manslaughter in the 2nd Degree (2 Counts)
Assault in the 2nd Degree (2 Counts)
Arson in the 4th Degree
Assault in the 3rd Degree (7 Counts)
Reckless Endangerment in the 2nd Degree (2 Counts)

Wayne Ballard

Offering False Instrument 1st Degree
Falsifying Bus. Records 2nd Degree

Raymond Canario

Offering False Instrument 1st Degree (3 Counts)
Falsifying Bus. Records 2nd Degree (3 Counts)

Denise Kerr

Reckless Endangerment in the 2nd Degree

Manuel Lema

Criminal Impersonation in the 2nd Degree
Obstructing Governmental Administration

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Crime

Rockland County Court Rejects Convicted Murderer’s Eighth Attempt To Vacate Conviction

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Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh, II, announced today that, in a decision issued on March 25, 2025, Rockland County Court Judge Kevin F. Russo rejected the latest attempt by convicted murderer Amer Zada to have his conviction vacated. The court noted that this motion is the eighth time Zada has sought to reverse or vacate his conviction.
In 1980, Zada was convicted of the murder of seventeen-year-old Shirley Smith in a Village of Nyack parking lot. He was also convicted of Attempted Sodomy in the First Degree and Aggravated Sexual Abuse as a result of his attack on Ms. Smith. At his trial, Zada was represented by William Kunstler, a world-renowned defense attorney who had gained notoriety for successfully defending many high profile and controversial clients.
In its decision, the court described the defendant’s current motion as being largely based on Zada’s claim that certain documents were not turned over to him prior to trial.
“The court found that Zada had failed to adequately establish this speculative claim as he provided no direct evidence that he had never received the documents. I would like to commend Executive Assistant District Attorney James Dolan for his dedication and professionalism representing the Office in this proceeding.” said District Attorney Tom Walsh.
The court also found that, even assuming that the documents had not been turned over, they were of little importance in the case against Zada and none of them were exculpatory within the meaning of the law. In addition, the court found that Zada’s motion to vacate his conviction raised only minor inconsistencies in the case against him, most of which were thoroughly explored by Mr. Kunstler during the trial. In conclusion, the court found that Zada had not offered anything to justify vacating his conviction.

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Crime

Ramapo Police Officers Arrest 19 Individuals Over The Weekend From DUI to Domestic Violence

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This past weekend, your Ramapo officers were hard at work, making 19 arrests throughout the Town. The breakdown includes:
• 10 arrests for suspended licenses or registrations
• 2 arrests on warrants
• 2 arrests for drunk driving, including one with a child in the car
• 1 arrest for open container
• 1 arrest for a forged inspection sticker
• 2 domestic-related assaults with child endangerment
• 1 arrest for domestic-related criminal mischief
All individuals arrested have been processed and cases handed off to the next step in the criminal justice system. It is important to note that a criminal complaint is an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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