By Staff
Jan. 13, 2016: The man who stole cash from Saint Joseph's Church on New Year's Eve also stole property from The Bronxville School on January 6, according to the chief of police of Bronxville, Christopher Satriale.
Frederick T. Nelson, a 63-year-old New York City man with 27 criminal convictions to his name, was arrested by police on Thursday, January 7, in connection with the New Year's Eve theft of $2,000 in holiday mass collections from Bronxville's Saint Joseph's Church and for the burglary at The Bronxville School on January 6.
Nelson, who had just been released from prison for a past burglary, was arrested after Bronxville Police Detective Sgt. Richard Anderson recognized him from the church's surveillance video and the school's surveillance cameras. Anderson knew Nelson because he had arrested him in 2011 for second-degree burglary in connection with an incident at Concordia College. Police said Nelson was a Yonkers native who is currently living on Ward's Island in New York City.
In a message to school parents, Dr. David Quattrone, superintendent of the Bronxville schools, stated that "last week we experienced a breach of security resulting in the theft of a few personal electronic devices belonging to faculty. The incident occurred on January 6, and a review of surveillance cameras on January 8 indicated that an unknown person entered the building through the Meadow Avenue entrance at 1:01 pm and left the premises about three minutes later."
Quattrone further added, "Today the school administration conducted an after-action review of this incident and addressed a number of related issues concerning camera upgrades, training, communication, and the failure to stop an unknown person at the school entrance."
Nelson was charged with burglary in the third degree for stealing a bank bag containing the holiday mass donations from the Church of Saint Joseph. With regard to charges for the school burglary, Chief Satriale stated in an email that "we expect to file an additional burglary charge when he returns to court on 1/20."
Following his arrest, Nelson was remanded to the Westchester County Department of Corrections pending his next court appearance on Wednesday, January 20, at 6:00 pm.
Pictured here: Frederick T. Nelson.
Photo courtesy Bronxville Police Department
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Link to Village of Bronxville One Square Mile Monthly Newsletter
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
337-6500
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
Open 24 hours
Bronxville Parking Violations
337-2024
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400