WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. UPDATED 5 PM EST, MARCH 7, 2008: Police are investigating the motives behind a home invasion on Coolidge Avenue off Soundview Avenue Wednesday night. According to Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Jackson. Thursday afternoon police announced three suspects had been apprehended and charged with burglary in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon.

"On Coolidge, two subjects pushed their way into the home, which was occupied by a woman and her children. Both subjects were armed. The woman was able to call us and we responded. The two subjects were apprehended in the area and two handguns were recovered. There may have been another subject who remained outside that fled the area. MTA, County, and Greenburgh canines assisted, as well as the helicopter. Motive under investigation. Both subjects were from the Bronx."

White Plains police officers Hart, Ford, Bucci, Kearny, Carenas and Suben pursued the subjects. Officers Hart and Ford arrested Juan Polanco and recovered a Ruger 45 caliber handgun.  Shortly thereafter, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Lieutenant Kerwick and his K-9 “Hero”arrested Carlos Mercado and recovered a Smith & Wesson 40 caliber handgun. The third subject, Leo Sosa, surrendered yesterday.

At a news conference Thursday aftertoon, Commissioner of Public Safety Dr. Frank Straub announced that three suspects had been taken into custody.  Two suspects were apprehended Wednesday night as described  in the vicinity of 20 Coolidge Avenue, a home owned by the Sanchez Family. Straub said the suspects and the Sanchez family members knew each other, and this figured into why the break-in was attempted. A third suspect surrendered voluntary this morning.

Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Jackson said the Sanchez family owned bodegas in the Port Chester vicinity that  offered ATM machines. Straub said the family a business known to deal with a lot of cash and speculated this was why the brother, sister and sister's son who were in the house at the time of the push-in were targeted.  The suspects have been charged with Burglary in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon. The guns recovered from the scene are being processed, Straub said, by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and County labs at this time.

Straub said the sister hid in the bathroom when the suspects first entered the home at gunpoint, and dialed 911 at 10: 11 PM.. Straub said White Plains units arrived within two minutes and secured a perimeter, and the Greenburgh and County Police came in to assist. 

At which point two suspects fled the house, one surrendering, and another fled into the night, eventually being apprehended and  secured by the MTA (not Greenburgh as first reported) Canine Officer and his dog.

The Police Dog cornered  and kept the suspect at bay until  the  Greenburgh officer secured the suspect, while in communication with a Westchester County Department of Public Safety helicopter hovering overhead "lighting up the scene." The officer informed the helicopter he was affecting an arrest, and Deputy Commissioner Jackson said, the officer's assurances he was in control relayed to the helicopter kept the officer from harm thanks to the seamless communication with them.

Commissioner Straub thanked the Town of Greenburgh Police Department, the MTA Police,  the County Police Department for working with the WPPD in such harmony and coordination. Mayor Joseph Delfino thanked all the officers involved for their performance.

Action in the Afternoon

Commissioner Jackson also provided these details on the high speed chase along the Cross Westchester Expressway Wednesday afternoon through White Plains in a seperate scenario: "The chase was initiated in Yonkers by Yonkers PD. It ended in the Garetson/Chadwick area. We assisted in the search which resulted in two apprehensions. There were several accidents during the chase. At least 1 on Westchester Ave. Apparently, the incident was drug related. Yonkers has the details on the arrest."