MAN ARRESTED IN
GREENPORT STABBING
Sheriff David P. Bartlett reports at 7:35 this morning Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sheriff’s were dispatched by Columbia County 911 to the intersection of Route 23 and Route 9 in the town of Greenport (locally known as Buckley’s Corner’s) for a reported stabbing.
Upon Deputies arriving at the scene, it was discovered the stabbing occurred inside a vehicle while it was traveling in that area and the incident stemmed from a domestic-related dispute. The victim and suspect were located near the intersection at which time the victim was transported to Columbia Memorial Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The victim was ultimately treated and released. The knife used in the alleged assault was recovered at the scene.
The suspect, 26 year old Francisco Otalaro of Cairo NY was taken into custody and interviewed by sheriff’s investigators at the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Otalaro did make admissions as to his involvement in the assault and was subsequently arrested and charged with Assault in the Second Degree a Class D Felony and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree a Class A Misdemeanor. He was arraigned in the Town of Greenport Court before the Honorable Judge John Porreca and remanded to the Columbia County Jail in lieu of $20,000 cash bail or $40,000 bail bond. Otalaro is scheduled to return to the Town of Greenport court at a later date.
The investigation is continuing and the Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the New York State Police, Greenport Police and the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office
Sheriff Bartlett said he would like to personally thank a Good Samaritan who stopped to render assistance to the victim prior to the police arriving on the scene. “Had this individual not stopped to help the victim, the outcome of this case could have been much different”.
