For Immediate Release Contact: Christopher Borek
Tuesday, April 20, 2021 845.291.3276, 845.238.4245c
District Attorney Hoovler and Washingtonville Police Chief Zaccaro
Announce that Defendant in Home Invasion Case is in Custody
Defendant Arrested on Unrelated Charges by the Hasbrouck
Heights, New Jersey, Police Department
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler and Washingtonville Police Chief Brian Zaccaro, on April 20, 2021, announced that the defendant charged in connection with a January 30, 2021, Washingtonville home invasion and stabbing incident, is in custody in New Jersey.
According to felony complaints filed with the Washingtonville Village Court, on January 30, 2021, Jamel McCaskill, of New York City, unlawfully entered a residence in the Village and used a large kitchen knife to stab an individual inside, causing physical injury. McCaskill fled the scene and was at large. The Washingtonville Police Department, together with the assistance of the New York State Police, investigated the incident, and later filed charges in Village Court. A warrant was later issued for McCaskill’s arrest, based upon the filing of an indictment with the County Court.
McCaskill was arrested on the night of April 16, 2021, in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer and weapons charges, for an unrelated incident. Extradition proceedings will commence, to return McCaskill to Orange County to answer the charges in the indictment.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the New York City Police Department, and the United States Marshalls Office Fugitive Task Force assisted in the search for the defendant.
“Every member of our community deserves to feel safe in their homes,” said District Attorney Hoovler, “and those individuals alleged to be responsible for violent crimes inside of people’s homes deserve to be held responsible and punished. My Office will see to it that those responsible for violent crimes are brought to justice, so that they can receive the appropriate punishment, and so that victims of those crimes can obtain closure.”
“Violent crime doesn’t happen often in Washingtonville, luckily,” said Washingtonville Police Chief Brian Zaccaro, “but when it does, I know that it’s troubling to our residents. Maybe now that an arrest has been made in this case, the citizens of our Village can rest a bit easier.”
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Ryan Greenbaum and Assistant District Attorneys Darlene De Jesus-Rosenwasser and Amanda Arroyo.
A criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.