August 19, 2016

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Harrison REVIEW THE

August 19, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 34 | www.harrisonreview.com

Historic SUNY Purchase mansion up for auction By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer

DETOUR

The Kenilworth Bridge, pictured, which passes over Interstate 287, is one of several construction projects underway in the town/village of Harrison. For more, see page 11. Photo/Franco Fino

Harrison PD announces indictment of Chase bank robber

Harrison police recently announced the indictment of a man for his role in the robbery of a bank on Halstead Avenue five years ago. Michael Trumbore, a Pennsylvania resident, was indicted on Aug. 11 for robbery, grand larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property, all third-degree felonies. On June 30, 2011, Trumbore, 48, entered the Chase bank located at 402 Halstead Ave. and handed a note to the teller de-

manding money while threatening to use a gun. Before police were notified, the defendant fled the bank with a total of $5,510. Following several months of investigation and an impractical Chase bank surveillance video that was sent out to Harrison police and the law enforcement community, police were initially unable to identify the suspect. However, after recovering property from the crime scene believed to be left by the bank robber, police submitted it to the

Westchester County Forensics Lab for DNA analysis. After five years of police persistence, the DNA was matched to Trumbore through the National DNA Index System. Harrison police Chief Anthony Marraccini said, “It’s important to have well-trained investigators that can properly collect evidence, and not give up and continually pursue a case.” Following the matched DNA profile, police located the bank robber at the Pennsylvania

State Correctional Institution in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, where Trumbore confessed to committing the Chase bank robbery. Trumbore pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Westchester County Court on Aug. 5, despite confessing to the robbery back in June. Trumbore, who is currently incarcerated for past car larcenies and bank robberies committed in Pennsylvania, is due back in court on Aug. 25. -Reporting by Franco Fino

With some aggressive bidding—and at least $1 million—a Westchester resident could become Harrison’s newest mansion dweller. The historic Beechwood House on 3031 Purchase St. in Purchase is once again set to be auctioned by the New York state Office of General Services. The Colonial Revival brick mansion built in the 1920s has served as the home for SUNY Purchase College presidents, but has not been occupied for more than 20 years. The last occupant was former college president Sheldon Grebstien, who held the office from 1981 to 1993. But the 9,300-square-foot property has not gone unused since Grebstien retired. The college has used the location as a site for several staff meetings, faculty retreats and holiday parties, according to Betsy Aldridge, a spokeswoman for the college. And in 2014, the mansion was used as a set for the Fox TV series “The Following,” starring Kevin Bacon. Last September, the property was auctioned by the Office of General Services for $1.98 million, but Heather Groll, director of communications for the state agency, said the buyer defaulted on the sale. The mansion sits on 3.5 acres of land and has 12 bedrooms

and eight and a half bathrooms. Spread across Beechwood’s two and a half floors are five fireplaces, located in the dining room, living room, library, master bedroom, and a room on the top floor. The above ground floors of the house contain 21 rooms in total. The basement is also separated into several rooms, one of which is a large vault with no known combination. Several of the house’s bedrooms and bathrooms have been left unfinished, as the house was undergoing renovations when it was vacated. The property also includes a brick two-car garage. Beechwood is not listed on the national or state historic registers, but is eligible for listing on both. The auction will be held on Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. and registration begins an hour before, with a required deposit of $100,000. The minimum bid is $1 million, down from the $1.3 million minimum bid required at last year’s auction. The auction will be held at the Harrison town clerk’s office in the Alfred F. Sulla building, located at 1 Heineman Place. The state agency will hold at least 11 open houses between Aug. 25 and Oct. 4. Specific dates and times can be found at nysstore.com. CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com

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