Four Charged After Ossining Home Invasion

By Krista Madsen

"This was not a random act," said Lt. William Sullivan of a home invasion that startled the community and had nearby schools on a short lockdown Wednesday morning. 

Village of Ossining Police byWednesday afternoon reported they had caught all three men they believe stormed into the residence on Denny Street where an elderly woman happened to be home. By night, they had formally charged them.

All reportedly wearing masks on and two armed with pellet guns, the men grabbed the 76-year-old, giving her "bruises and contusions," Sullivan said.

The men reportedly made their way to the woman's nephew's bedroom. "He was the target; they knew he had drugs and cash," Sullivan said.

The three allegedly made off with cash and drugs and got into a car. Immediately the woman called 911, around 9:15 a.m., reporting that the men were only in her home a very short period. 

The woman refused any medical treatment, Sullivan said, adding that of course she was "upset." 

About an hour later, police also received a phone call from "just a citizen going by" who had seen the men fleeing the house and acting suspiciously in the car. "If you see something, say something," Sullivan said. 

The citizen was able to get the license plate number and make of the car, which helped police eventually track down all three. 

Croton Police first nabbed Steven Garcia, 18, of Verplank, on Route 9, later driving in the identified car with someone who police believed was not connected to the incident. 

Ossining police took Garcia into custody and got a search warrant for the car, where Sullivan said they found evidence including $3,500 and a pellet gun.

While the men had allegedly fled together in one car, they were tracked down in various locations at different times. All except Garcia, said Sullivan, had previous arrest records. 

Garcia, along with Kristian Espinal, 18, of Scenic Drive, Croton, and Christopher Galan, 20, of Valhalla, are charged with the felonies:

• Burglary in the first 
• and robbery in the first. 

Meanwhile, at the home itself, police got a warrant to search the targeted bedroom. Here, they found "a quantity of cocaine, packaging material to distribute cocaine, and an illegal handgun," said Sullivan. 

Officials charged resident Richard A. Camacho, 24, of Denny Street, Ossining, with:

• criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh,
• criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell in the third, a felony
• two counts of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia,
• and criminal possession of an illegal firearm, a felony.

All have been arraigned in Ossining and are being held at Westchester County Jail in Valhalla.

Note: Arrests do not indicate convictions.