A 56-year-old Yorktown man is accused of trying to run down a juvenile with his car in the parking lot of a BJ's Wholesale Club before he and an 18-year-old companion allegedly punched and shoved the teen, leaving him with physical injuries. Kenneth Rella and the unnamed 18-year-old were arrested one week ago following the confrontation at the store located at 3303 Crompond Road in Yorktown.
According to Daily Voice, Yorktown Police officers were dispatched to the BJ's parking lot at around 8:36 p.m. on Oct. 13 after a report of a confrontation. Investigators determined that Rella tried to hit the juvenile with his vehicle during the altercation, the outlet reported, and that the 18-year-old became involved after arriving at the scene.
Police said both men then repeatedly punched and shoved the juvenile, causing physical injuries, per the same account. The teen's age, the extent of his injuries, and what sparked the confrontation in the first place were not made public by authorities.
Charges And Court Appearance
Rella and the 18-year-old were both charged with third-degree assault, the Daily Voice report notes, while Rella also faces a second-degree reckless-endangerment charge tied to the alleged attempt to strike the teen with his car. Both suspects were arrested at the scene and taken to Yorktown Police Headquarters for processing before being arraigned before Judge Raniolo in Yorktown Justice Court.
A temporary order of protection was issued on behalf of the juvenile victim, and both defendants were released on their own recognizance following the arraignment. The Yorktown Police Department announced the arrests and charges publicly on Tuesday, exactly a week after the incident itself took place.
Why The Teen Suspect Remains Unnamed
The 18-year-old's identity has not been released because of his status as a youthful offender. Under New York Criminal Procedure Law, when a court determines that an eligible young defendant qualifies as a youthful offender, the judge must state the reasons for that determination on the record and forward a transcript to the state's Division of Criminal Justice Services, according to the text of New York Criminal Procedure Law Section 720.10.
The protections that keep such proceedings private are not absolute, however. A related provision, Criminal Procedure Law Section 720.15, states that sealing and private-proceeding rules do not apply to a pending felony charge, and that sealing specifically does not apply if the youth has previously been adjudicated a youthful offender or convicted of a crime. Neither the exact age of the juvenile victim nor additional details about what triggered the BJ's parking lot confrontation have surfaced in public reporting on the case.
