LaGrange woman charged in connection with student fight
On Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at approximately 7:30AM, two female Arlington High School students got into a fight upon their arrival at the school. Immediately following the altercation, it was discovered that the mother of one of the students involved in this altercation was in the building without prior authorization. She allegedly entered the building during arrival disguised as a student.
Subsequent investigation by the Sheriff’s Office and the Arlington Central School District has resulted in the arrest of Valerie Albelo, age 33 of Lagrangeville. Ms. Albelo was arrested on 1/22/23 and has been charged with criminal trespass in the 3rd degree and endangering the welfare of a child, which are both misdemeanors. After being processed she was released with an appearance ticket returnable to the Town of LaGrange Court on 2/7/23 at 5:00 pm.
Following the arrest Dr. Dave Moyer, Arlington Superintendent of Schools, issued the following statement:
“I commend our staff and Arlington High School safety personnel who intervened immediately during the altercation and quickly identified the parent who entered the high school without approval. We would like to thank the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office for their thorough investigation of this incident and the subsequent arrest. We are aware of the seriousness of this parent’s actions and the impact on school safety. We have been reviewing our procedures for student arrival and tightening our security protocols at Arlington High School.”
In reaction to the investigation and arrest Sheriff Imperati said:
“I would like to thank the Arlington Central School District and the School Resource Officer from the Sheriff’s Office for their diligent and thorough joint investigation into this incident. The close partnership that we enjoy with Dr. Moyer and the Arlington District went a long way towards bringing this case to a successful conclusion, and I am grateful that someone will be held accountable for their actions during this troubling and unfortunate incident.”
Arlington High school administrators and safety staff will be checking student IDs during morning arrival. Arlington High School students must have their ID visible to gain entry to the building. High School students and staff are required to wear their Arlington IDs at all times during the school day and during after school activities.
The Arlington Central School District has a strict visitor’s policy. In order to visit Arlington schools during the school day, parents and guests must have an appointment. All visitors must enter and exit through the main entrance. In order to be buzzed into the building, the visitor should:
- Show a photo ID to the camera
- Identify the purpose of their visit, including with whom they have a scheduled appointment
Upon being granted entry, the visitor must report directly to the building greeter and show photo identification. Visitors must wear a visitor badge at all times while in the school or on school grounds.
As with any criminal case, the charges described above are merely accusations and Ms. Albelo is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
