Cops: Homicide Suspect Arrested Trying to Flee the Country

Detectives from the Westchester County Police Warrant-Fugitive Unit arrested a New City man Saturday who failed to appear for sentencing on a homicide charge after they developed information that he was planning to flee the country.

Warrant-Fugitive Unit detectives had been searching for Clifford Perkins, 27, since he failed to appear for sentencing in Westchester County Supreme Court earlier this month, according to county police spokesman Kieran O'Leary.

Perkins had pleaded guilty in March to negligent homicide in the death of a New Jersey man in a fiery motorcycle crash on the Sprain Brook Parkway in 2014.

Based on information developed in recent days with the assistance of the Port Authority Police Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, the county cops took Perkins into custody at LaGuardia Airport.

Detectives had determined that Perkins was planning to fly to Florida Saturday morning and take a connecting flight to Jamaica. They were waiting for him at the airport and took him into custody when he arrived there about 6 a.m.

Perkins was booked at Westchester County Police headquarters in Hawthorne and will be held over the weekend at the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla. He will appear in Westchester County Supreme Court on Monday.

A warrant was issued for Perkins’ arrest on Aug. 3 by Justice Robert Neary after Perkins did not turn up for sentencing on a charge of Criminally Negligent Homicide.

SEE:

• State Police Share Details of Lengthy Investigation into Fatal Motorcycle Crash
• New City Man Indicted 11 Months after Fatal Motorcycle Crash
  
• Guilty Plea in Fiery, Fatal Motorcycle Crash

Perkins was arrested in 2014, months after a detailed investigation conducted by the State Police into the accident that occurred as a dozen motorcyclists sped down the Sprain Brook Parkway.

Here’s what happened, police said: Perkins was operating a 2002 Yamaha motorcycle southbound on the Sprain at a high rate of speed on May 25, 2014. He struck the rear of a 2001 Mazda, operated by Edward T. Murray, Jr. of Mamaroneck, who was also traveling south.

As a result, Murray lost control of the Mazda, struck the left guide rail and rebounded. Scott Phillips, who was also traveling southbound while operating a 2013 BMW motorcycle, collided with the Mazda.

Both Perkins and Phillips were ejected from their motorcycles. Both bikes burst into flame.

After emergency responders arrived at the scene Phillips was pronounced dead. Perkins was transported to Westchester Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Murray was treated at Westchester Medical Center for minor injuries and released.

On Saturday, Westchester Public Safety Commissioner George N. Longworth praised the investigators from the three agencies for ensuring that Perkins cannot avoid serving his sentence..

“The diligence and professionalism of the county police Warrant-Fugitive Unit, the Port Authority Police and U.S. Customs and Border Protection has resulted in the apprehension of a convicted felon who was attempting to avoid justice by fleeing the country,” Longworth said.

PHOTO: Clifford Perkins