The Public Record

HARASSMENT - MASSENA - Village police charged Eric W. Zender, 31, of 17 Perkins Road, Massena, with second-degree harassment. Zender allegedly grabbed his wife, Nichole L., by the neck, pushed her against a wall and said he was going to kill her during a domestic dispute at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at their residence.

He also allegedly threw his wife's iPod, breaking it, before walking outside his residence. Police said Mrs. Zender then reportedly locked the door, and Mr. Zender allegedly kicked the door, damaging the casing, when he attempted to re-enter the residence. He also allegedly tipped over a coffee table during the argument.

He was arraigned by Massena Village Justice Eric J. Gustafson and was released on his own recognizance pending further court action. The court also signed a temporary order of protection directing Mr. Zender not to harass his wife.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT - MASSENA - Village police charged Andrew T. Berry, 18, of 66 Liberty Ave., Massena, with disorderly conduct at 4:05 a.m. Sunday. Police responded to a complaint of a fight at the corner of Liberty Avenue and Sycamore Street. Berry allegedly fled the fight scene, but he was tracked by a canine unit and located in front of 69 Sycamore St. He was allegedly standing in front of a residence at that address yelling for people to come out and fight him.

DWI - MASSENA - Village police charged John W. Holmes, 18, of 10 West Ave., Massena, with driving while intoxicated following a traffic stop at 12:51 a.m. Sunday on West Avenue. He was also ticketed for operating a vehicle with switched plates, operation of an unregistered motor vehicle, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, operation of an uninspected motor vehicle, operation of an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to signal.

CELL PHONE - MASSENA - Village police ticketed Shirley A. Dickinson, 66, of Potsdam for using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle following a traffic stop at 9:07 a.m. Monday near the intersection of state Route 37 and Main Street.

FAILURE TO YIELD - MASSENA - Village police ticketed Delton A. Weller Jr., 27, of Norfolk for failure to yield the right of way at 7:52 p.m. Sunday on Liberty Avenue.

STOP SIGN - MASSENA - Village police ticketed Leo P. Labaff, 60, of Massena for a stop sign violation at 9:45 a.m. Sunday near the intersection of Grove Street and Ridgewood Avenue.

STOP SIGN - MASSENA - Village police ticketed Mary L. Courson, 63, of Massena for a stop sign violation at 10:40 a.m. Sunday near the intersection of Grove Street and Ridgewood Avenue.

SPEEDING - MASSENA - Village police ticketed Marci S. Meacham, 21 of Massena for speeding following a traffic stop at 4:41 p.m. Saturday on state Route 37.

STOP SIGN - MASSENA - Village police ticketed Bethany G. Yeddo, 26, of Massena for a stop sign violation at 3:32 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of Grove Street and Ridgewood Avenue.

DWI - WINTHROP - Massena-based state police charged Ryan R. Hess, 21, of 703 state Route 11B, Potsdam, with driving while intoxicated and unlicensed operation following a stop at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint Sunday on state Route 11B in the town of Stockholm. Hess, who reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.11 percent, will answer the charges March 17 in Stockholm Town Court.

MARIJUANA POSSESSION - WADDINGTON - Massena-based state police charged Chantell R. Pittsley, no age available, of 14 Howard Ave., Malone, with unlawful possession of marijuana following a stop at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint Sunday on state Route 37 in Waddington. Troopers said a Border Patrol K9 alerted on the vehicle and Pittsley was allegedly found in possession of a clear plastic bag containing approximately 2.8 grams of marijuana as well as a multi-colored glass pipe containing marijuana residue. She was issued a ticket to appear March 17 in Waddington Town Court.

NO UNDERAGE DRINKING - CANTON - A check of St. Lawrence County premises licensed by the New York State Alcohol Beverage Control Board on Saturday netted zero arrests for underage drinking, according to Canton-based state police.

Troopers said they entered seven bars while in plain clothes along with an underage operative. The operative also attempted to purchase alcoholic beverages at several retail establishments, but troopers said all the established refused to sell alcoholic beverages to the person.

MARIJUANA POSSESSION - WADDINGTON - Massena-based state police charged Issiac S. Thornwell, 42, of 102 Peace St., Buffalo, with unlawful possession of marijuana Saturday after he was allegedly found with less than 25 grams of marijuana following a vehicle and traffic stop on state Route 37 in the town of Waddington. Thornwell was issued a ticket to appear March 17 in Waddington Town Court.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF - WINTHROP - A North Lawrence man was charged with criminal mischief and violating his probation Friday after he allegedly cut off his home monitoring bracelet.

Winthrop-based state police charged Ervin E. Francis IV, 20, of 15 Grove St., North Lawrence, with felony third-degree criminal mischief for damaging the $400 bracelet that was owned by the St. Lawrence County Probation Department. He was arraigned by Norfolk Town Justice Donald Lustyik and was remanded to the St. Lawrence County Jail in lieu of $20,000 cash bail or $40,000 bond, to reappear March 16 in Lawrence Town Court.

Following his commitment, a warrant from St. Lawrence County Court for a violation of probation was issued. Francis was arraigned by County Court Judge Jerome J. Richards and was remanded to the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility without bail.

Troopers said Francis was on electronic home monitoring for a pending second-degree rape charge. However, they noticed him walking down Church Street, a half block away from his residence, and their investigation revealed he did not have his electronic ankle bracelet on. It was located at his residence in a damaged condition, according to troopers.

MARIJUANA POSSESSION - MASSENA - Massena-based state police charged Jeffrey A. Dihrberg, 18, of Canton with unlawful possession of marijuana, and Leona M. Schwartfigure, 37, of Canton, with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, possessing a controlled substance not in its original container, and unlawful possession of marijuana following a traffic stop Friday on West Hatfield Street in the village of Massena. They were released on tickets to appear this afternoon in Massena Village Court.

CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE - BOMBAY - Massena-based state police charged Luke D. Hehir, 19, of Massena with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance Friday after he was allegedly found in possession of a 500 mg Hydrocodone tablet following a traffic stop on state Route 37 in the town of Bombay. Hehir was issued a ticket to appear this evening in Bombay Town Court.

FAILURE TO REGISTER - MASSENA - A Massena man recently convicted on a misdemeanor count of failing to register as a sex offender was remanded to the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility Monday after he was charged with a felony count of the same offense.

Massena Village Justice Eric J. Gustafson remanded Paul J. Gurrola Jr., 23, of 458 County Route 48, Norwood, to the county jail with bail set at $4,000 cash or $8,000 bond.

Police allege the Level II sex offender registered his home address inaccurately on Feb. 2 and again on March 4. They charged Gurrola had listed his home addresses as 498 South Main St., Apt. 6, and 454 County Route 48, Norwood, but the residents at those addresses discounted that allegation.

One woman told police on Feb. 17 that Gurrola, whom she described as a friend, had stayed at her apartment for approximately a week in February, but she said he had actually bounced from house to house during that period. She told police that day he hadn't stayed at her residence since Feb. 10.

Another women, whom described Gurrola as her boyfriend in court papers, said he had asked her if he could use her address on County Route 48 as his address on the sex offender registry.

"I told him no he could not because I have little kids, and I don't want him near my kids," she said, telling police she believed Gurrola still went to Canton on Feb. 11 and indicated to the authorities he was living at her residence.

She said Gurrola had stayed at her residence a few times when he told her he was homeless or did not have a ride back to Massena. But she indicated that was no longer the case.

"I kicked Paul out and told him not to come back. I did not want Paul at my address near my kids," she reiterated.

ATTEMPTED ASSAULT - MASSENA - Village police charged David D. Murray, 50, of 161 Water St., Massena, with third-degree attempted assault. Police said he walked into the police station at 1 a.m. Monday and admitted he had choked his wife during a domestic dispute.

Erin Murray told police she and her husband were arguing over everyday issues and his sleep problems when he became angry at her. She said she was sitting on the couch when he approached her and started to choke her.

She suggested he choked her for approximately 10 minutes, finally letting go before she blacked out. "I could barely breathe when he was choking me," she noted in the statement she signed for police.

"I am not fearful for my life nor believe he would hurt me in the future," she told police.

Mr. Murray was arraigned by Massena Village Justice Eric J. Gustafson and was released pending further court action.

AGGRAVATED DWI - MASSENA - Village police charged Patrick M. Tyo, 55, of 18 Pleasant St., Massena, with aggravated driving while intoxicated and sped not prudent following a traffic stop at 9:12 p.m. Saturday on Water Street. He reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.22 percent.