A New City couple is heading to prison after pleading guilty to killing the man’s grandfather a year-and-a-half ago. Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh says 32 year-old Constantinos Doonan pleaded guilty to second degree murder in the killing of his grandfather, Constantinos Mastakouris, who was found after a welfare check, strangled to death in his Ruth Drive home. 26 year-old Jo-Ann Haughey pleaded guilty to first degree Manslaughter in connection with the case. Walsh says after Mastakouris’ body was wrapped in a tablecloth, it was hidden in the crawl space of the home they lived in with the couple’s two children. Walsh says the couple took Mastakouris’ car, some jewelry, and a credit card. They’re being held in the Rockland County Jail. Doonan faces 20 years to life in prison while Haughey will get fifteen years behind bars when they are sentenced in December. Their children have reportedly been under the care of Rockland Child Protective Services since they were arrested.
Report: Police Investigating Threat at Clarkstown School
Police are looking into reports of a verbal threat being made at a private school in Clarkstown. That’s according to News 12. No one was physically harmed and there were no weapons involved at the Upper Nyack Summit School, a state-approved, private residential school for children and adolescents with special needs. The incident is under investigation.
Sloatsburg Rest Area Reopens on Thruway
The New York State Thruway Authority has reopened the newly-renovated Sloatsburg Service Area located on I-87 northbound between exit 15A and exit 16 in Harriman. The Sloatsburg Service Area is the largest of all 27 service areas in the Thruway system. The renovation includes a new floor plan, restaurants, restrooms, and more. Among the restaurants included a Shake Shack, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks and several others. There’s a playground, a dog walking area, and six level-3 high speed EV chargers will be added soon. All 27 service areas are being redeveloped as part of a $450 million public-private partnership with Empire State Thruway Partners, with no toll or tax dollars being used for construction.