WSSV News

The so-called “sleeper creeper,” convicted of breaking into Saratoga Springs homes and watching people sleep, has had his sentence cut in half. Ramiz Hajratalli, reports WNYT, will now serve up to 15 years in state prison for burglarizing homes in 2017. He was sentenced to 30 years but the Supreme Court appellate decision found that excessive since he didn’t touch anyone.

Saratoga County has issued a strong reaction to the governor’s mask mandate. WRGB reports it reads, in part, “The Public Health Department and Law Enforcement will not enforce New York State’s misguided and unrealistic mask mandate, which passes the buck to counties to enforce what the Governor herself said just over a week ago is ‘almost impossible’ to enforce.”
The board of supervisors went on to say that under no circumstances will the county enforce the harmful provision that bars school children from taking mask breaks.

State Police in Clifton Park arrested 32-year-old Carlos J. Gilmore of Schenectady and 35 year old Donald Daniels Jr. of Ballston Lake on grand larceny and other counts. Authorities say the pair are accused of cashing fraudulent Coinstar receipts at multiple Hannaford Supermarkets around the Capital District. The pair used color copies of an actual Coinstar receipt and turned them in for over $1,000 in cash before the scheme was discovered by an employee.

A man has been arraigned in connection with the death of Mark French in Saratoga Springs. As WNYT reports, Jordan Garafalo was arraigned today in Saratoga County court, is accused of punching French in the head outside Clancy’s Tavern in Saratoga Springs back in August. French fell, and hit his head on the pavement. He later died. Garafalo was released on $100,000 bond. His brother, James, was charged last week.

A new COVID testing site is opening in Saratoga County this week. It’s located in the Malta Commons Business Park at 100 Saratoga Village Boulevard. The test done there, according to WNYT, is said to be the most sensitive saliva test on the market, and can detect all known variants including the Omicron variant. Operating hours are Monday through Friday – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A fire early Tuesday morning did some damage at the Parting Glass on Lake Avenue. WNYT reports the call came in at about 3:30am and firefighters contained the flames to the first-floor kitchen area. They believe it to be accidental in nature and say the restaurant did not sustain structural damage, but will likely have to close for a few days.

One person was arrested following what investigators are calling a burglary and assault at a home in Galway. WRGB reports the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office Monday announced the arrest of 30 year old Cassandra Morsellino. Investigators say Morsellino stabbed one victim in the neck with a knife after entering the home with another man with the intent of burglarizing the home. The Sheriff’s Office say that the victim and Morsellino knew each other. She’s charged with assault and burglary .

A Saratoga Springs business owner is taking her mission overseas to help school-age children in Africa. WRGB reports
Ashley Campbell of Coral & Blue Paper Company created larger, kid friendly thank you cards with elementary lines with more room to write, and a space to draw. Campbell has a friend who teaches in Burundi, Africa, one of the poorest countries in the world, so she sent some of her stationary there and now it’s being used for kids’ school lessons there.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that $539 million was approved by the federal government to assist in with an all-new state-based Homeowner Assistance Fund. The governor said this program is a first of its kind in the U.S. and that New York was the first state to receive this kind of federal funding. The New York State Homeowner Assistance Fund (NYS HAF) is a “federally funded program dedicated to assisting homeowners who are at risk of default, foreclosure or displacement as result of a financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office was asking for help locating Gemenis Martinez, a 13-year-old who had been missing since Saturday, December 4. WTEN reports the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office said as of 3:45 p.m. Monday, Martinez had been found . No word on where she was found or where specifically she had been.