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Suffern Clergy Member Charged With Multiple Sex Crimes

Published

5 years ago

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Suffern Police Department working in conjunction with the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office Special Victims Unit charged Fidel Hernandez, age 51, with the crimes of Rape 1st Degree, Criminal Sexual Act 1st Degree, Sexual Abuse 1st Degree and Forcible Touching. Hernandez is a member of Tagaste Monastery and Sacred Heart Church located in the Village of Suffern.

The investigation started after a congregant notified a Priest at Tagaste Monastery about an incident that occurred in 2018 where she alleges she was sexually assaulted here in Suffern. The clergy member then contacted the NY Archdiocese who contacted the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office. The District Attorney’s Office then contacted the Suffern Police Department Detective Bureau who opened an investigation. During the course of the investigation a second victim came forward stating that she was sexually assaulted by the defendant as well.

This is an ongoing investigation and anyone that feels they were a victim or knows of a potential victim is asked to contact either the Suffern Police Department or the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office. Hernandez was arraigned this afternoon in Suffern Justice Court and released on $50,000 bail pending a future court date.

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Haverstraw Police Arrest Suspect in Connection with Residential Burglary

Published

3 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

Published

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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