Auto Flip; Search Called Off for Military-Gear Jogger; Purse Snatch Arrest

It was a morning filled with madness and mayhem – at least in the minds of us who cover breaking news and you who follow it.

Reports came through at 12:59 p.m. of an overturned vehicle on Weaver St. and Crossway. We got exclusive early photos – thanks to Jack Miller, superdad– and Stefani Kim is reporting in the field.

[3:01 Update: The motorist that crashed – a grey Infiniti sedan heated toward New Rochelle on Weaver St. – was passing a vehicle that was in the process of making a left hand turn onto Crossway. Passing on the right is illegal, but this driver did one worse than a ticket, and flipped the car into the yard alongside the roadway. The passengers were taken to White Plains Hospital and the vehicle was towed. The turning SUV was sideswiped but passengers were unharmed. More to come from Stefani later on.]

First: News at 10:45 a.m. of a camouflage-wearing man with a bulletproof vest, headed on foot towards Scarsdale, turned out to be a bust. A police scanner report at 10:50 a.m. described him as being seen on Grand Blvd. in New Rochelle, headed towards Scarsdale along Weaver St.

New Rochelle Police confirmed the report at 11:00 a.m., saying "Yes - that's correct - it appears to possibly be nothing," on a phone interview with Scarsdale Patch. "Police are still canvassing the area. It is still in the process right now, there's not much information we can give."

But by 11:20 a.m., said Scarsdale Police Lt. Bryant Clark, it was called off by New Rochelle. 

"That fellow was not in fact located," said Clark. "Apparently he never had entered anything in the Village of Scardale, but we did assist New Rochelle in their search in the area of New Rochelle around Scardale."

Turns out, the man is a regular fixture and apparently, a fitness fanatic.

"There was some information we had from people we talked to on the street. People say this fellow has been out there regularly, he jogs, and that vest may well have been an exercise vest," said Lt. Clark.

"There was no report of any weapons being displayed. Someone may have thought it was a bulletproof vest - and there is a school over there, the Davis School, so there was reason to be concerned," he said.

The Davis School wasn't the only one concerned: Contributor Jack Miller received this e-mail in his inbox this morning. A parent's worst potential nightmare:

Scarsdale Public Schools - Infinite Campus Messenger

Dear Parents: 

I am writing to let you know about a situation that occured in our district this morning.  

Three elementary schools (Heathcote, Quaker Ridge and Edgewood) were briefly placed under a lockdown this morning at the request of the Scarsdale and Westchester County Police departments.  An individual dressed in camouflage clothing and a heavy vest was sighted in New Rochelle heading north on Wilmot Road towards Scarsdale and the District was notified at 11:05 to place those three schools under a precautionary lockdown.  Children were brought inside and doors locked. A Scarsdale Police officer was immediately dispatched to each building.    

At 11:35, the police notified the district that the lockdown request was lifted, although a police presence is being maintained at the three schools until the end of the school day.   

All is well and the principals at each building have been talking to staff and students as appropriate.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call your building principal.  

Sincerely, 
Michael V. McGill
Superintendent of Schools

Last on our list of chaotic nightmarish happenings: some good news.

One of the nutters who pulled a woman's coat over her head on Monday and robbed her purse has been apprehended and was charged yesterday.

Real news is, she's local. Krystal Walters, 21, a female, black, from 96 Dobbs Ferry Rd. in Greenburgh, was charged with three felonies: robbery in the 2nd degree - grand larceny in the 4th, and criminal possession of stolen property in the 4th.

Turns out, when she stole the purse, she made off with several of the victim's credit cards. And inevitably, she just couldn't resist. 

"They were subsequently used at a number of different locations in Westchester County and the Bronx," said Lt. Clark. "She was in custody in the White Plains Police Department for an unrelated robbery in that jurisdiction," when Scarsdale apprehended her. Yesterday morning she was brought before the court, and bail was set at $1,000. The investigation is ongoing, and police are still attempting to identify her two accomplices.  When asked how they specifically linked Walters to the theft, Lt. Clark said, "There was no shortage of evidence - let's put it that way."