Bedford Police Blotter: DWI, ID Theft and Stolen Cash From Marshall's

Twosome arrested for DWI and marijuana

On September 2 police received a report from a driver who had just exited the Saw Mill Parkway, about another motorist driving recklessly on the parkway. An officer, who was on patrol on Green Lane, found the driver traveling at a speed less than 40 miles per hour, near the Katonah exit just south of Route 35.

The officer suspected the driver, 28-year-old Alexander Michael Friedman of Waccabuc, was either intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. During the investigation, the officer found that Friedman's passenger, a * 22-year-old female from Somers, had a small bag of marijuana. A pipe with a small amount of marijuana was also discovered the car, according to police reports. The duo was taken to police headquarters where Friedman's sobriety tests revealed his blood alcohol level to be over the legal limit.

Friedman was charged with DWI drugs and alcohol, and a BAC of .08 percent. His passenger was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. The pair was released without bail and they are both due in court on September 16.

* The passenger's name has been removed as the charges were expunged and the case was dismissed.

When police turned their overhead lights on to pull 20-year-old Eric Fletcher over for driving erratically, instead of pulling over, he stopped in the middle of Bedford Road. The officers, who had been notified about a possible intoxicated driver leaving Splash Car Wash, initiated field sobriety tests with Fletcher, which subsequently revealed his intoxication, according to police. He refused to take any further chemical tests, invoking his right to an attorney. He was charged with DWI, failure to signal and for obstructing an intersection. His mom picked him up from the station and he is due in Bedford town court on Sept. 16.

 Bronx woman arrested for identity theft

An identity theft case that began March 30 in Katonah was resolved with the Sept. 2 arrest of Bronx resident Nefertiti Garnett.  The 33-year-old woman was charged with two counts of identity theft, one count each of grand larceny, forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument.

In early April, Bedford police received a call from a New Jersey woman who said over $9,000 in unauthorized withdrawals were made from her bank account, almost half of which was withdrawn from the Chase Bank in Katonah. The New Jersey woman froze her accounts. After obtaining a photo from Chase Bank, and investigating the case, Bedford police identified Garnett, who had used a fake New Jersey driver's license to make the withdrawal from a Chase teller.

Later that month, Garnett attempted to make another withdrawal, this time in Rye Brook. Before receiving the money, she left, and left her fake NJ license behind, giving police more information in the case. In May, Garnett made a successful withdrawal in Dutchess County, but when she tried to make another large withdrawal in the same day, the bank alerted authorities. Garnett was taken into custody and processed at the Dutchess County Jail, where she was held without bail.

In June, a warrant was issued for her arrest through the Bedford court, and she was brought to town for her arraignment. The extent of her crimes is still being investigated.

On September 5, 27-year-old Juan Matute of White Plains, an employee of Marshall's Shoe Outlet, brought a $2 juice up to the register. His fellow employee, 28-year-old Kadian Sewell of Mohegan Lake, rang up the juice, but gave him more change than he required—$200 in tens and twenties. Sewell later returned $100 to the register, but both were already caught on the store's security cameras, according to police reports. They were arrested, released on $200 bail, and are due in Bedford town court on September 16.

This information is provided at the discretion of the Bedford Police Department and is in no way represents their complete activities in any given week.