Co-owner of Baked by Susan will appear in Village Court tomorrow on charges stemming from an accident near the store. [Updated February 19]
Christopher O'Keefe, husband of co-owner Susan O'Keefe, was arrested by Croton police after an accident on January 15. He denies the charges against him.
Many customers of Croton’s popular Baked by Susan on South Riverside Avenue were surprised to see a recent police blotter item in The Gazette reporting that the store’s co-owner, Christopher O’Keefe, had been arrested on January 15 in the aftermath of an automobile accident with another vehicle. The original blotter item on the village Web site did not name O’Keefe, but the Gazette apparently determined his involvement and included it in the newspaper’s version.
Here is the original police blotter item:
“Date/Time: 1/15/25 8:59am
Location: South Riverside Ave
Call Type: Penal Law Arrest
Narrative: Caller reported being involved in a two-car accident at the listed location. Caller on the line stated that the operator of the other vehicle approached his vehicle and began threatening him. He then continued to rip the door handle off the vehicle and began punching the window. Patrol dispatched and placed the 60-year-old Croton resident under arrest. He was transported to police HQ where he was processed, arraigned, and released on his own recognizance.”
O’Keefe is due in Croton Village Court tomorrow morning (February 19) for what will be the latest in several court appearances in what is turning out to be a bizarre case. We spoke to him today to get his side of the story.
“I’m just as bewildered and shocked as anyone,” O’Keefe told us. O’Keefe says that he was driving down South Riverside on the morning of January 15 and had just reached the vicinity of the bakery when another car came by him and pushed his vehicle into a pole, “right in front of the business.” O’Keefe’s vehicle was carrying pieces of wood, which then spilled out all over the road, he said.
O’Keefe said that the driver of the other vehicle at first did not respond, and—as an experienced EMS person—his first thought was to see if he was injured. “Then the guy pops up with a camera and gives me the finger.”
O’Keefe says he does not know the name of the other driver, only that he is apparently from Dobbs Ferry.
O’Keefe denies the charges that he was violent against the other vehicle or its driver. He told the Chronicle that he took video of the accident scene and talked to other business owners in the vicinity. He said that he was confident the case would eventually be dismissed, but it might take a number of months and additional court appearances before that happened. He will appear tomorrow with his attorney.
As for why the police would arrest him in this situation, O’Keefe says that is a “good question.” He told us about a couple of earlier incidents he had with Croton police, but they were quite a few years ago. The O’Keefes have been involved in some controversies in the village about parking spaces for their business, but that also does not appear to be related to this situation in any way.
The Chronicle will be in court tomorrow morning for this and another, unrelated case involving an alleged attack at Maple Commons. We will update this story as soon as possible.
Update February 19, 2025.
Christopher O’Keefe made a brief appearance in Croton Village Justice Court, accompanied by his attorney, Jay C. Sherman of Ossining. Judge Sam Watkins was presiding, and Westchester County Assistant District Attorney Chelsea Paglia appeared for the prosecution.
As with most criminal cases, the parties are still engaged in the legal discovery process, wherein the prosecution must share all the evidence it intends to use with the defense. Eventually, if the case follows the normal course, it will go to trial or a plea deal will be agreed to (the prosecutor can also ask for the case to be dismissed under certain circumstances, for example if the evidence is deemed insufficient.) This process can take weeks or months; the case has been continued until March 19.
**********************************************************************************************************
To share this post, or to share The Croton Chronicle, please click on these links.
Comments policy: Please be polite and respectful.
We have had a couple of comments from individuals claiming to have information that is relevant and might provide context for the reporting on this case. I have left those comments up in my efforts to strike a balance between the comments policy of this publication, which calls for respectful treatment of others, and not suppressing information that might be relevant to this journalistic enterprise. However, the comments so far have been of an anonymous nature, and so I have to ask that if anyone has relevant information they contact the Chronicle at TheCrotonChronicle@gmail.com or by private message to me. This is in the interests of not allowing people to simply take pot shots at someone they might dislike without following up with enough courage to talk to a reporter about it, in full confidence. Anonymity guaranteed as long as I know who the sources actually are. Thank you.
I’ve deleted a comment by someone who appears to be misrepresenting who they are.