A suspended vehicle registration was all it took for Rye police to pull over a car that, it turns out, was carrying a wanted man allegedly trying to hide who he was. Christopher J. Pasquale Vigliotti, 54, was arrested on Oct. 18 and is now sitting in the Westchester County Jail, awaiting extradition to Florida on a felony warrant, according to police.
A Stop Over a Suspended Registration Unravels Fast
According to the Rye Record, the encounter began when a Rye police officer spotted a vehicle with a suspended New York state registration, along with other alleged vehicle and traffic law violations. The officer pulled the car over and began speaking with the driver, who police say was Vigliotti. Separately, Daily Voice reported that the Rye Police Department announced the arrest this week, noting that Vigliotti is from Florida.
During that stop, police say Vigliotti gave officers a fake name in an attempt to conceal his true identity. That move apparently backfired. Running his information turned up an active felony warrant out of Broward County, Florida, alleging aggravated battery involving permanent disability, per the Rye Record's account of the police report.
Charges Pile Up in Rye
Once officers determined who they were actually dealing with, Rye police arrested Vigliotti and charged him with false personation and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration. He was also issued several additional summonses for New York state vehicle and traffic law violations, the Rye Record reported.
Under New York's false personation statute, a person is guilty of the offense when they knowingly misrepresent their actual name, date of birth, or address to a police or peace officer with intent to prevent that officer from learning the truth, according to the New York State Senate. It's the kind of charge that tends to show up exactly in situations like this one, where a driver is hoping a traffic stop won't lead anywhere further.
What the Florida Warrant Alleges
The warrant that caught up with Vigliotti in Rye stems from Broward County, Florida, where he is wanted on an aggravated battery charge involving permanent disability, according to the same police account relayed by the Rye Record. Under Florida law, aggravated battery covers intentionally or knowingly causing great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement, or committing battery while using a deadly weapon, per the Florida Legislature. The statute classifies aggravated battery as a second-degree felony, a serious charge that can carry significant prison time in Florida.
Vigliotti was arraigned following his arrest and remanded to the Westchester County Jail, where he is being held pending extradition back to Florida to face the warrant, police said.
