Chronicle Editorial: The people of Croton have a right to know why Oliver Fernandez was at Maple Commons.

Fernandez already had a warrant out for his arrest in a case based in Ossining when he was apprehended here and charged with illegal possession of a loaded handgun.

Mug shot published in 2019. Right: Maple Commons.

Early last week, the Croton Police Department issued a media release announcing that, on January 31 of this year, officers had arrested Oliver Fernandez of the Bronx after following his car out of Maple Commons. Fernandez allegedly tried to flee police after they determined he had an outstanding warrant from a case originating in Ossining, but was quickly blocked by police vehicles and apprehended.

Fernandez was allegedly found to be in possession of a loaded handgun previously lost by a police department in Georgia. The announcement had been delayed as police conducted further investigation, a police spokesperson told the Chronicle.

In the following days the Chronicle reported further details, including the fact that the outstanding warrant had been for criminal contempt (alleged violation of a protection order) and that Fernandez was accused of disseminating an “intimate image” of another person. We also learned that he had been charged with three counts of criminal gun possession, and that he had been accused in 2019 by New York City authorities of being a member of the notorious Trinitarios gang.

(We have no information about any current gang affiliations.)

Fernandez has a court date in Westchester County Court on Wednesday, March 26, and in Croton Village Court on April 2.

This is now the second criminal case involving Maple Commons. Many readers will recall the matter of Valaria Davis, who recently pleaded guilty in Croton court to reduced charges relating to menacing a resident of the complex with a knife, and also reduced charges of attempting to do damage to the apartment in which that resident resides. We had been told earlier by the Maple Commons developer that there was a relationship between Davis and the resident, who remains unnamed, and it emerged in open court that Davis and the resident were girlfriends.

The case of Oliver Fernandez has been handled very differently. So far, both the Maple Commons developer, Ken Regan of Regan Development Corporation, and village officials (specifically Village Manager Bryan Healy) have declined to tell us what possible relationship Fernandez may have, or may have had, with one or more residents of the housing complex.

As in the Valaria Davis case, we have not asked, nor have we been provided, with the name or names of the Maple Commons residents involved.

In a case like this, officials and the community at large must balance the right of privacy of some people involved—in this case, whoever in Maple Commons Fernandez was apparently visiting—with the right of the public to know how likely it is that Fernandez might be frequenting our village and perhaps even Maple Commons itself. As far as we are aware, there are no restrictions on his movements (he has been released on $15,000 bail) and no injunctions against his visiting the complex or coming into the village.

If such restrictions are indeed in place, we should be told that as well.

In short, this is a matter of basic public safety for Croton and its citizens.

It may be that the ongoing police investigation is putting some constraints on what we can be told. But we do not believe that we should be told nothing at all, which is the current state of affairs. We call upon village officials to be more transparent and forthcoming about this case, and to leave any possible concerns about local politics or local sensitivities aside.

***********************************************************************************************************

To share this post, or to share The Croton Chronicle, please click on these links.

Comments policy: No personal attacks or hate speech, please be polite and respectful.