Lousy game leads to fewer arrests
A dismal performance on the turf Sunday inside Ralph Wilson Stadium might have yielded an unexpected benefit: just 14 arrests in and around the stadium.
"That's about half than what it's been running," Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew Benz reported this morning. "I don't know what to tell you."
Upon further review, Benz suggested that early departures by fans may have been the reason.
Topping the game day blotter was the arrest of three Canadian men who "borrowed" a golf cart to negotiate the parking lot before the opening kickoff. Benz said an employee of the Buffalo Bills reported the theft and the three were taken into custody after they pulled up at Gate 1.
Bryan W. Bendo, 23, of Toronto; Steven L. Henry, 27, of Sarnia; and James M. Hester, 46, of Mississauga, were each charged with a felony count of grand larceny and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor.
They were released after posting $400 bail each.
The remainder of the arrests … including one man from Ohio, one from Pennsylvania, five Western New Yorkers and four more Canadians … were on the more typical charges of disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, resisting arrest, exposure and alcohol possession by a person under 21.
Meanwhile, State Police timed a traffic detail of their own in the Southtowns to coincide with post-game traffic.
Troopers released details this morning about two of their three drunken driving-related arrests:
-- Ethan T. Barrett, 20, of Bullis Road, Marilla, was pulled over for speeding on Route 400 in West Seneca, troopers said. He was taken into custody on a charge of driving while intoxicated and a test conducted at the Elma barracks indicated a blood alcohol content of .08 percent. Barrett was released in his father's custody, pending an appearance in West Seneca Town Court.
-- John L. Rotoli, 47, of Rochester, was pulled over on Route 20 in the Town of Orchard Park because of a malfunctioning brake light, troopers said. He also was arrested on a DWI charge; a test indicated a blood alcohol content of .13. Rotoli was released in a friend's custody and is to appear Nov. 17 in Orchard Park Town Court.
Troopers said they also issued 37 tickets, including 10 seat belt violations, between 4 and 7 p.m. Sunday.
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