North Salem Man Faces Charges in Southeast

Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith reports the arrest of a North Salem man on a variety of charges following an incident in the Town of Southeast.

At 12:16 a.m. Sept. 16, Deputy Sheriff Vincent Dalo observed a male subject behaving suspiciously in a vehicle in the parking lot of the Brewster Ice Arena on Fields Lane in Southeast.

As the deputy approached the vehicle, he observed the subject appear to attempt to conceal something, and detected an odor of marijuana emanating from the interior of the vehicle. An investigation revealed that the subject, identified as Austin M. Garafola, 18, of 41 Fields Lane, North Salem, New York was in possession of a quantity of marijuana; a switchblade knife; and a fraudulent Maryland drivers license.

The deputy arrested Mr. Garafola and charged him with:

• Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree, a misdemeanor;
• Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Third Degree, a misdemeanor;
• Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, a violation.

The defendant was processed at the Putnam County Correctional Facility and released after posting $250 cash bail pending a future appearance in the Town of Southeast Justice Court to answer the charge. If found guilty of the misdemeanor charges, the defendant faces up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000 for each charge.