Yorktown Schools Go Into Lockout Mode During A Massive Police Search

A massive police search for a man believed to be dangerous started this morning at the suspect's house on Baldwin Road, but investigators said he wasn't in the residence.

Probation officers arrived at his house to arrest him for a violation of probation on a prior felony DWI conviction. Investigators said they heard movement inside and believed the man had barricaded himself in the house.

Police blocked off the roads between Baldwin Road and Allan Avenue, and Baldwin Road and Giordano Drive for nearly four hours.

The man, whose name has not yet been released, has a violent criminal history. He has been previously charged with criminal possession of an assault rifle, possession of a weapon and assault second degree.

An initial call was to help the Department of Probation with the arrest of the suspect. County Police spokesperson Kieran O'Leary said the Yorktown Police Department requested a Special Response Team to handle the situation with proper training and equipment. Hostage negotiators were also at the scene.

"Nobody in the public was hurt," Yorktown Police Officer Robert Noble said. "It was all done professionally, carefully and expediently."

Despite the situation, residents and parents with children in the Yorktown School District continue to feel safe.

French Hill Elementary School, less than 500 yards from the location, was placed in a lockdown mode for hours.

"I've never had problems in this neighborhood," Roy Sokol said. "I feel confident in a neighborhood where people watch over each other and I'm secure about my safety."

Steve Van Tongeren, who works at Blossom Nursery, adjacent to the suspect's house said he was surprised by the events. He said he does not know the man of interest, but has seen him doing garden work at his house.

"It's an uneasy feeling, but I felt safe," Jennifer Zaslow said of the ongoing events.

Zaslow has two children in the school district and found out about the lockdown when she went to French Hill Elementary, to drop something off and was told that she was not allowed inside.

"We are always cautionary," said Leo Sposato, Director of Communications at Yorktown Central School District. "We find that safety is the best policy."

He said classroom activity went as normal, children were kept inside and no one was allowed to enter the building. The district and school emergency response team followed emergency protocol to ensure everyone's safety. The lockdown was lifted around 1:35 p.m.