POUGHKEEPSIE – Police seized two handguns and an assault rifle in two incidents in Poughkeepsie on Thursday.
City Police responded to a 911 call at 4:37 p.m. of four men walking up Balding Avenue towards Mansion Street waiving guns and arguing. Officers detained two men on Balding; the other two fled on foot, but were apprehended. One handgun, which was stolen, was recovered.
Steven Bellamy, 24, of the City of Poughkeepsie, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property, both as felonies, for the stolen handgun and a bench warrant.
Antwan Wakely, 23, also of Poughkeepsie, was charged with a parole violation.
City Police were assisted by the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Office of Special Investigations Escape and Absconder Unit.
Three hours later, authorities went to 197 Mill Street looking for a person who had absconded from community supervision.
When they knocked on the door of the basement apartment, Nicholas Harris, also known as “Bados,” a 24-year-old city resident answered. Harris had an arrest warrant from city court for criminal possession of a weapon and was taken into custody.
Two other men, one of whom had been released from the Balding Avenue call without charges, and a 15-year-old male, were detained after an AR-15 assault rifle and heroin were observed in plain sight in the apartment.
A warrant search revealed more heroin and marijuana and a stolen 45 caliber revolver.
Harris, Jihad Williams, 25, and Manoj Ruparelia, 16, all of Poughkeepsie, were all charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property, for the stolen gun, criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of marijuana. Harris and Williams were also charged with endangering the welfare of a minor relating to the 15-year-old. He was released without charges into the custody of his mother.
