Suffern man accused of throwing items from second-story window

SUFFERN -Police have arrested a 41-year-old man accused of throwing objects from a second-floor apartment into a parking area where children were playing.

Arturo Olivia-Alarcon began tossing items on Sunday afternoon after a dispute with his girlfriend, who lives with him at 56 Orange Ave., Police Chief Clarke Osborn said yesterday.

Osborn said he didn't know the details of the argument Olivia-Alarcon had with his girlfriend, who he said has a 4-year-old child through a previous relationship.

"He was throwing pots, pans, glass items from the second story," Osborn said. "He threw everything but the kitchen sink. He almost hit the kids playing in the parking lot."

When police arrived at the multiple-family building just after 4:45 p.m. Sunday, Olivia-Alarcon ran into his apartment and locked the door, forcing police officers to break in to arrest him, Osborn said.

The building is along Orange Avenue toward Route 17, just outside of downtown Suffern.

Police charged Olivia-Alarcon with misdemeanor counts of second-degree reckless endangerment and obstructing governmental administration.

He was being held on $2,500 bail in the county jail in New City and on an immigration retainer, meaning he can't be released on bail.

Osborn said Olivia-Alarcon is a Mexican national, and investigators believe he's illegally living in the United States. A Spanish-speaking interpreter spoke to him after his arrest, Osborn said.

Osborn said officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plan to interview Olivia-Alarcon in jail and determine his status.

Suffern is among the first municipalities in New York to apply to join 287(g), a federal program that lets Immigration and Customs Enforcement partner with local law enforcement.

Under the accord, local officers are trained to identify suspects who are undocumented, detain them on immigration charges and start deportation proceedings.

Reach Steve Lieberman at slieberm@lohud.com or 845-578-2443.