Fencepost-Wielding Man Faces Charges After Rampage: Troopers

VERPLANCK, NY — A Cortlandt man who state troopers said damaged a police car and smashed other vehicles with a fence post faces felony and misdemeanor charges. State police said they had to shoot him with a taser to take him into custody.

At 9:10 p.m. Jan. 11, someone called state police about a man screaming, and state troopers were dispatched to Broadway and 14th Street in Verplanck. There, they confronted Steven J. Cilento Jr. whom they allege approached and damaged the window of their patrol vehicle.

Cilento then ran away. He later used a fence post to damage nearby vehicles, police said, and also menaced a neighbor who went outside to see what the disturbance was.

After he ignored several commands to drop the fence post, the troopers shot him with a taser.

He was taken into custody without further incident, arraigned before the town of Cortlandt Court and remanded to the Westchester County Jail without bail, police said.

The 32-year-old was charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 3rd degree, a class D felony, Criminal Mischief in the 3rd degree, a class E felony, Menacing in the 2nd degree, Criminal Mischief in the 4th degree, and Resisting Arrest, all class A misdemeanors.

PHOTO/ NYSP