Intruder Who Terrorized Family, Infant During Gunpoint Home Invasion Found Guilty By Westchester Jury

HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, NY — A burglar who terrorized a Westchester family has now been convicted by a jury.

Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced on Thursday that a Dobbs Ferry man was convicted on all eight felony counts after a home-invasion burglary trial.

On Wednesday, a jury found 31-year-old Brandon Scerri guilty of two felony counts of first-degree burglary; four felony counts of first-degree robbery; one felony count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon; and one felony count of third-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

He is scheduled for sentencing on May 21.

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"The sanctity of one's home, and of one's sleeping children, is a right we all take for granted in this county," Cacace said. "But in May 2024, the illusion of that security was shattered for one Hastings-on-Hudson family, who were all home when the defendant invaded their bedroom, tied them up, pointed a loaded gun at them and robbed them, all while two of their children were asleep upstairs. The traumas the defendant subjected this family to will live with them for the rest of their lives."

The DA said her office willl be pushing for a stiff sentence.

"I am grateful that the jury saw this case for what it was and convicted the defendant on each and every count in the indictment," Cacace said. "We will be seeking a significant sentence commensurate with the seriousness of the defendant's conduct. Westchester residents must feel secure in their own homes, and my office will aggressively prosecute anyone who violates that boundary."

On May 11, 2024, around 4:30 a.m., Scerri entered a townhouse in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson without permission. He walked into the parents' bedroom where they were asleep along with their 7-month-old baby.

After the parents awoke, they saw Scerri in their bedroom pointing a loaded gun at them. He ordered them to lie face down on the floor and demanded cash and jewelry. Scerri then moved around the bedroom removing jewelry, including a wedding band, a Cartier bracelet, a Tiffany bracelet, and a gold Pandora infinity necklace.

When the baby began to cry, Scerri placed his hand on the infant. One of the victims told Scerri that there was cash in her purse, and she led him downstairs, along with her husband and infant, to retrieve it, all while he was holding the loaded gun to her head. Scerri then tied up the two parents using tape and electrical wires while their two other children were asleep upstairs.

Scerri then fled the scene, but was later apprehended.

Cacace commended several police agencies for their investigatory work on this case: the Hastings-on-Hudson Police Department, the Irvington Police Department, the Ardsley Police Department, the Yonkers Police Department, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety.