Residential treatment employees charged in connection with teen’s death

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CLERMONT – Two employees of a residential behavioral health facility in Red Hook have been charged with crimes related to the death of a 14-year-old resident last month.  The teen was walking on Route 9 in Clermont when he was struck and killed by a passing car on September 23rd at approximately 4:50 a.m.

While the State Police were investigating the fatal crash, an employee of Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health in Red Hook reported that resident Romelo Cruze,14, was missing.   The two employees that were arrested provided investigators who responded to the accident with business records and written statements claiming Cruze was in good condition at their facility at 5:30 a.m. on the day he was killed.

Cruze was struck and killed at least 40 minutes earlier than the Deveraux records indicate, at 4:50 a.m., and he was nearly 4.5 miles north of the residential facility.

Poughkeepsie residents Churchill Orodi, 39, and 36-year-old Beryl Orech were arrested by state police on October 4, 2022.  Orodi and Orech were responsible for Cruze at the facility.

The two are facing felony charges of endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person and falsifying business records.  They were each also charged with the misdemeanor of making a punishable false written statement.  Both were issued appearance tickets for an appearance in the Town of Red Hook Justice Court.




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