Crime
Schenectady Police Arrest Suspect in Fatal Hit-and-Run of 8-Year-Old Child
Schenectady, NY – Authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with a fatal hit-and-run that claimed the life of an 8-year-old boy on Wednesday evening, March 19, 2025.
At approximately 7:38 p.m., officers from the Schenectady Police Department responded to a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Chrisler Avenue and Crane Street.
Upon arrival, officers found the young victim, identified as Zion, unresponsive at the scene.
Emergency responders transported him to Ellis Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The driver of the striking vehicle fled the scene before officers arrived. Law enforcement immediately launched a search, locating the vehicle a short time later in the Woodlawn area of Schenectady.
The driver was taken into custody and transported to Schenectady Police Department Headquarters for questioning.
The suspect has been identified as 29-year-old Conroy A. Simpson, a resident of Queens, New York.
Following the investigation, Simpson was formally charged with:
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Death – Class D Felony
- Operating a Motor Vehicle Without Insurance – VTL Violation
The Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office is assisting in the ongoing investigation. Authorities have not disclosed further details regarding the circumstances of the incident.
Due to the victim’s age, law enforcement has opted not to release his full name at this time.
Anyone with information regarding the case is urged to contact the Schenectady Police Tips Line at 518-788-6566.
Authorities will provide additional updates as the investigation progresses.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.