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Rockland DA: SPRING VALLEY MAN SENTENCED TO STATE PRISON FOR SHOOTING

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1 year ago

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SPRING VALLEY, NY – Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced today that Kevin Castillo, 22 of Spring Valley, New York was sentenced to 7.5 years in state prison with 5 years of post-release supervision as a result of his conviction for Assault in the 1st Degree – Penal Law § 120.10 (1) (“B” Felony).

On March 24, 2023, at approximately 3:06 am, police officers from the Spring Valley Police Department responded to a Spring Valley, NY, residence to investigate a reported shooting that just occurred. Upon their arrival, the victim’s mother rushed down the residence’s stairs to beckon the officers inside in order to assist her daughter who sustained a gunshot wound. The officers then observed the female victim laying in the entryway of a room suffering from a visible bleeding gunshot wound to her right forearm that did not appear to have an exit wound. The victim advised that prior to being shot, the defendant was on a fire escape ladder outside the residence, and that she went to open a window to tell him to leave. At this point, the victim explained that the defendant began to shoot at her with a handgun, and he subsequently struck her in the arm. The defendant then fled from the property.

Upon their quick arrival, first responders transported the victim to Westchester Medical Center to undergo successful emergency surgery. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene to canvass the area for the defendant. The defendant was located and arrested by law enforcement approximately an hour and a half after the shooting.

District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II said, “Keeping Rockland County residents safe from gun violence is a top priority of mine. My Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state, and local level to get illegal firearms off the street. The defendant in this case recklessly fired a handgun into a room without any regard for the victim, who underwent emergency surgery for her injuries. I commend the law enforcement agencies involved for their thorough investigation and quickly apprehending the defendant. The defendant will now be held accountable for his actions.”

The case was investigated by the Spring Valley Police Department with assistance from the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, Rockland County Sheriff’s Office, Ramapo Police Department, and Clarkstown Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Executive Assistant District Attorney Michael Dugandzic and Supervising Assistant District Attorney Nicole Garcia.

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Crime

Haverstraw Police Arrest Suspect in Connection with Residential Burglary

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2 days ago

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April 1, 2025

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On March 31, 2025, the Haverstraw Police Department located and arrested Carlos Sepulveda, 43, of West Haverstraw, New York, in connection with a residential burglary that recently occurred. Mr. Sepulveda was identified as the suspect depicted in a circulated image related to the incident.
The arrest stemmed from an investigation into a reported incident where a suspect allegedly entered a residence and stole a package.
Mr. Sepulveda has been charged with the following:
Burglary 2nd Degree (Class C Felony)
Criminal Trespass 3rd Degree (Class B Misdemeanor)
Petit Larceny (Class A Misdemeanor)
Following his arrest, Mr. Sepulveda was arraigned in Clarkstown Justice Court. He was subsequently remanded to the Rockland County Correctional Facility.

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Crime

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

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1 week ago

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March 27, 2025

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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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