A real estate appraiser from Pleasantville was arrested in Yorktown and charged with Third Degree Grand Larceny, after allegedly stealing a diamond ring valued at $8,500 from the Juniper Drive residence where she was conducting a real estate appraisal.

Police say 54 year old Melanie A. Alvarez of 67 Saratoga Avenue, Pleasantville, was arrested while being questioned at Pleasantville Police headquarters on an unrelated incident. According to cops, the owner of the home reported the larceny of assorted jewelry valued at $14,500 shortly after an appraisal was conducted.

Alvarez was arraigned and remanded to the Westchester County Jail after she was unable to post $1,000 bail. She's due back in Yorktown Court tonight at 6 p.m.

Police in Yorktown are on the hunt for a man who robbed a jewelry store at gunpoint Monday afternoon. Police Lt. Kevin Soravilla says the suspect entered Yorktown Jewelers at 2008 Crompond Road in the Roma Shopping Plaza around 12:30 p.m., displayed a handgun and made off with an undetermined amount of cash and jewelry. No one was injured.

The suspect is described as  white male, in his late 50's, early 60's, gray hair, heavy set, with a ruddy complexion.  At the time of the robbery, he was wearing a blue golf shirt, with white shorts.

A mail carrier from Yorktown was arrested Tuesday for allegedly selling marijuana to an undercover police officer while delivering mail on his route in Yorktown. 21 Year old James Kirk of Dicktown Road, Carmel was charged with 3rd Degree Criminal Sale of Marijuana, a felony and 5th Degree Criminal Possession of Marijuana, a misdemeanor.

The Westchester County Police Narcotics Unit, Yorktown Police Department and the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General launched an investigation after officials learned Kirk was allegedly selling pot from a postal vehicle along his route. Kirk works from the Yorktown Post office on Maple Hill Drive.

Police say he's accused of selling an ounce of marijuana on two separate occasions to an undercover officer. He was arrested at his Carmel home before noon Tuesday.

Kirk was arraigned in Yorktown Town Court and was released on $2,500 bail pending a court appearance May 27.

A Yorktown man was sentenced today to a year in prison for the brutal killing of his ex-girlfriend's dog in April 2009. 21 year old Jonathan King admitted he snuck into the home of Steven Levine, while the family was away, and yanked the dog by its collar so hard its spine was severed. The Levine family found the dog, Libra, a Yorkshire terrier mix, the next day behind a clothes dryer. King pleaded guilty in March to aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony.

Jonathan King stood silent as the family of Steven Levine, who owned the dog, a Yorkshire terrier mix named Libra, read a statement detailing their sadness at the loss of their beloved pet. He made no comment and offered no apology.

He was prosecuted under the 1999 law known as "Buster's Law" which makes it a felony to kill animal, an offense that's punishable by up to two years in jail. King received one year due to his plea bargain agreement.  In addition to the jailtime, King will pay $1500 in restitution to cover the cost of his extradition after he fled to Miami. An order of protection was also issued barring King from having contact with the Levine family for the next ten years.

A difficult economy coupled with a down real estate market is adding up to big tax problems in the Town of Yorktown.  Officials say The Trump Park Residences, owned by Cappelli Enterprises, owes nearly $615,000 in unpaid 2009  taxes to the Town along with $74,000 in penalties.

The luxury condominium complex is located on Barger Street in Shrub Oak.

Trump Park Residences features 141 luxury condominium homes, 122 of which have not sold.

Units were initially listed at between $500,000 and $1.3 million.

However, as sales on the luxury condominiums slowed down, Trump Park Residences is now offering a rental option or a rent-to-own option to would-be homebuyers.

Yorktown Supervisor Susan Siegel says the numbers are disturbingly high. She says the Town is in the hook for the staggering tax arrears, money that will come, she says, from the Town's Fund Balance.

Republican Candidate and Tea Party Member Dr. Steven Katz of Yorktown  is vowing to stay in the race for the 99th District Assembly Seat.  On Monday, Republican delegates caucusing in Putnam County, selected James Borkowski over Mary Ellen Odell, Dr. Steven Katz and Yorktown Councilman Nick Bianco.

Bianco dropped out of the race and gave his support to Odell. Odell has since said she will not take part in a primary against Borkowski, but rather run for her seat in the Putnam County Legislature.

Katz, a 56 year old Veterinarian said, "The party machine in Albany has made it hard for honest hard-working citizens to serve this state in elected positions because it makes back room deals and corrupts the process. We the people will not be shut out anymore."

Katz has reportedly raised the most money of any candidate running for the Assembly seat.

Ed Ciffone, District Leader for the Yorktown Republican Committee and President of United Taxpayers of Yorktown said "I nominated Steve because he was the right man for the job. People need to have a choice of who represents them and the process needs to be fair and open, not have deals made behind closed doors."

Katz says he is moving forward with his candidacy and has embarked on a walking tour of the district, meeting with residents in the towns of Pawling, Southeast,Carmel,Paterson,North Salem, Somers and Yorktown.

Family and friends are mourning the loss of a community leader in Yorktown. 78 year old Town resident, community volunteer, and youth advocate Joan Valenstein was killed Thursday night after her car collided with a truck on Route 202 in Yorktown.
Valenstein was a co-founder of the Alliance for Safe Kids and a board member of the Yorktown Teen Center.  She was also responsible for establishing the DARE program in the Town.

Valenstein was also a founder of Yorktown's annual Community Day which is being held tomorrow, Saturday May 15. There will be a moment of silence at Community Day at 1 p.m. and special red ribbons will be distributed in her honor for her work on the DARE program.