Jamestown Police said William Buckley, Joneece Talley, and Joshua Ryan were arraigned Thursday, December 29. Buckley was sent to the Chautauqua County Jail without bail due to having two or more prior felony convictions. Talley and Ryan were sent to the County Jail with bail set at $500,000 cash or $1,000,000 property bond.

The 73-year old woman who was assaulted in the invasion on Monday, December 26 is expected to make a full recovery. Police say the investigation is continuing.

Randall Rolison

The truck driver charged in the vehicle-pedestrian accident that killed 15-year old Alexis Hughan is in jail on more charges.

Jamestown Police report 58-year old Randall Rolison was sent to the County Jail without bail after an investigation found new information led to the upgraded charge of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving a death, which is a felony.

A preliminary hearing was held in Jamestown City Court Wednesday with Judge John LaMancuso ruling there was reasonable cause to believe a crime was committed. The case goes to a Grand Jury now.

Police say the investigation is continuing and additional charges are possible pending the results of toxicology submitted to the State Police Crime Lab in Albany.

A memorial service will be held for Lexy Hughan this Saturday, January 8, at First Covenant Church. Friends will be received beginning at 11 a.m. with the service starting at 1:00 p.m.

A celebration of Lexi’s life will follow at The Spire Theater’s Odyssey Hall.

According to Jamestown Public Safety Director/Police Chief Harry Snellings, the city court issued 119 total bench warrants in January 2020, an increase of 50 over the same time period in 2019.

The number was provided to WRFA following Monday night’s Jamestown City Council Work Session, in which the initial figure of 107 bench warrants was provided. However, according to Snellings during a follow up on Tuesday, that number didn’t include the total for the entire month.

The bench warrants are issued for people who’ve been arrested for a crime or crimes and then failed to appear in court to answer to their charges.  The increase in bench warrants is being attributed to recent Bail Reform measures out of Albany, which eliminated cash bail for most misdemeanor and nonviolent felony offenses. As a result, fewer individuals are being held in custody until their day in court.

“This is one of the issues that is being addressed, where people are not having to post bail and are instead given an appearance ticket, and a lot of them are not appearing back in court, so this is a huge increase in the number of bench warrants that we are going to have to be serving,” explained Jamestown City Councilman and Public Safety Committee Chairman Brent Sheldon (R-Ward 1) during Monday night’s Jamestown City Council meeting.

“We’re seeing the same problems with this all throughout the state. It’s ‘catch and release.’ They get arrested, they get an appearance ticket and then they don’t come to court,” Sheldon added.

Chief Snellings also told council members Monday night that the additional bench warrants have added to the JPD’s workload because officers now have to locate those individuals and serve them their bench warrant. In addition, officers also have to ask them how they would like to be contacted by the court if they don’t appear.

Snellings also noted that the department recently promoted a patrol officer to the position of Detective in order to help process evidence that is collected during an arrest. Under new state guidelines, law enforcement must now collect and turnover all evidence within 15 days of an arrest, given them a much smaller window to investigate a case before handing it over to the District Attorney for prosecution.

Snellings will be attending a hearing on Thursday in Buffalo for the Repeal Bail Reform Task Force, which was created by State Senate Republicans and is chaired by local Sen. George Borrello (R-Irving, 57th Senate District).

WRFA reached out to Snellings on Tuesday for additional information regarding the bench warrants issued for January 2020. According to chief Snellings, of the 119 bench warrants issued in January, 17 were for violations, 95 were for misdemeanors and seven involved people who were arrested on a felony charge.

The list of original criminal charges for warrants in January 2020 included:

• Aggravated Harassment 2nd Degree
• Assault 2nd Degree
• Assault 3rd Degree
• Aggravated Family Offense
• Criminal Contempt 1st Degree
• Criminal Impersonation
• Criminal Mischief 4th Degree
• Criminal Possession of Marijuana 2nd Degree (Felony)
• Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th Degree
• Criminal Possession of Stolen Property
• Criminal Tampering
• Criminal Trespass
• Criminal Possession of a Weapon
• Driving While Intoxicated
• Driving While Ability Impaired Drugs
• Endangering the Welfare of a Child
• False Personation
• Grand Larceny
• Menacing 2nd Degree
• Obstructing Governmental Administration
• Petit Larceny
• Resisting Arrest
• Stalking 4th Degree
• Unauthorized use of a Motor Vehicle
• Unlawful Imprisonment

Albert Chapman

JAMESTOWN – A Jamestown man accused of robbing a bank and gas station last week was ordered held pending grand jury action.

The Jamestown Post-Journal says 34-year-old Albert Chapman was sent back to Chautauqua County Jail without bail following a preliminary hearing in city court. The Jamestown man is facing charges of first- and third-degree robbery after he allegedly walked into Community Bank NA in Falconer last Thursday and demanded money.

He was later arrested after attempting to rob the Kwik Fill gas station on Forest Avenue at knife-point.

Police are still investigating the bank robbery and are asking the public for information regarding the driver of an SUV that was reportedly used to transport Chapman to and from the bank in Falconer.

Luis Mojica-Castro

JAMESTOWN – Bail has been set at $1 million for the Jamestown man accused of setting a woman on fire during a domestic incident on Tuesday night.

The Post-Journal is reporting that 37-year-old Luis Castro-Mojica pleaded not guilty to first-degree assault during his arraignment Thursday morning in Jamestown City Court. He was then sent to Chautauqua County Jail with bail set at $1 million cash.

Castro-Mojica is accused of dousing a 27-year-old woman with the flammable substance and setting her on fire Tuesday night at a residence on Thayer Street. The victim was airlifted to the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo with burns to her face, head and torso. At last word she was listed in critical condition.

The Jamestown Police Department said it was continuing its investigation and more charges are expected.

The Post-Journal is reporting that the court has granted 40 year-old Jennifer Piazza an evaluation for a drug treatment program out of Jamestown City Court.

Piazza is being defended by public defender Ned Barone, who said Piazza is a non-violent, first-time offender who has a history of drug use and needs help.

Piazza was fired from her position in 2015 after being accused of pocketing $34,443 over the course of four years from the Ellicott Town Court while serving as its clerk. The theft was first noticed following an audit by the State Comptroller’s office. She also served as part-time clerk for the Gerry town court, where she is also accused of taking about $8,000.

Piazza is currently facing two indictments out of the towns of Ellicott and Gerry, each charging her with third-degree grand larceny – two class D felonies.

According to the Post-journal, if Piazza is eligible for the treatment program, she must plead guilty to the charges on both indictments. If she successfully completes the program, she can withdraw her pleas and plead guilty to two misdemeanors instead. She would also be required to pay restitution and would be placed on probation for six year.

Allen Witruke

MAYVILLE – The Jamestown man accused of allegedly killing his wife and step son late last year will wait until June before returning to court for a preliminary hearing.

The Jamestown Post-Journal is reporting that 51 year old Allen Witruke, 51 had his hearing rescheduled to June 22 in Jamestown city court. He faces two counts of second-degree murder.

Acting District Attorney Patrick Swanson said the latest adjournment is needed for both the prosecution and defense to further conduct pre-trial processes and investigations.

Witruke was arrested on December 8 after the bodies of 52 year old Catherine Witruke and 34 year old Eric Washburn were discovered inside the family’s home at 235 Barrows St. He allegedly used blunt force trauma on one of the victims and stabbed both victims multiple times.

Witruke pleaded not guilty to both charges of second degree murder during his arraignment on Dec. 9 and has been in the county jail without bail since then.

Allen Witruke

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown man accused in the double homicide that took place Tuesday morning on Barrows street has pleaded not guilty to two charges of 2^nd degree murder.

51-year-old Allen Witruke was arraigned in Jamestown city court Wednesday morning. He is being held without bail until his next court date in Chautauqua County Court will take place on December 16.

Witruke is accused of killing two people whose bodies were discovered Tuesday morning, Dec. 8, at 235 Barrows St. On Wednesday Jamestown Police Captain Robert Samuelson identified the victims as 52-year-old Catherine Witruke – Witruke’s wife – and 34-year-old Eric Washburn – Witruke’s step son.

Samuelson also said that Witruke allegedly used blunt force trauma on one of the victims and also stabbed both victims multiple times causing their death. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene Tuesday by the Chautauqua County Coroner and the bodies are currently undergoing an autopsy at the Erie County Medical Examiners Office.

Following the discovery of the bodies a brief manhunt took place, with Witruke being located and taken into custody early Tuesday afternoon in Olean by members of the Olean Police Department.

Police have not released any details into the motive behind the homicides. Other news outlets are reporting that Witruke’s home was about to be foreclosed on and the individuals serving the foreclosure papers Tuesday morning are the ones who discovered the bodies the two victims.

Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi

JAMESTOWN – Mayor Sam Teresi says he’s still weighing his options when it comes to appointing a second city judge.

On Monday, a report by the Post-Journal had said that current part-time city judge George Panebianco will not seek the recently created second full-time city judge position. That leaves it up to Teresi to appoint a local attorney and so far, he says he’s yet to make a decision.

“Several candidates have stepped forward and I have reached out to a couple of other candidates,” Teresi said, adding, “As I’ve said before I will take all the time I need but only the time I need to make the best decision that I can. This is a long-term decision that is going to have an impact on life in this community for years to come – ten years to be exact – and its not a duty that I take lightly.”

The mayor adds that he has about six possible candidates for the position, although he would not say who they were. He also said he would be making the appointment in the next couple of weeks. “The procedure for filling those positions in the statute, was the mayor and the chief executive officer of the community would appoint the incoming judge, subject to the advice and consent of the legislative branch of the local unit of government,” Teresi explained.

On Monday, WRFA reported that city attorney Marilyn Fiore-Lehman was a possible candidate, based on information from an individual who asked not to be identified. However, both Teresi and Fiore-Lehman declined to comment on that possibility.

In order for an individual to be appointed city judge, he or she needs to be a resident of city and has to have practiced law for at least five years. Teresi said he may announce his selection later this month.

On Friday, City Court Judge John LaMancuso, Administrative Judge for the 8th Judicial District Paula Feroleto and Mayor Sam Teresi made the announcement Friday in the City Council Chambers.

The current part-time judgeship will be eliminated at the end of March, with the full-time spot on the bench starting April 1. The position was made possible through legislation at the state level.  Having two full-time judges will ease pressure on the court calendar and expedite proceedings.