Federal, county, and city officials celebrated the grand opening of a new four-story affordable housing building in Westchester that boasts energy-saving features. 

The $48 million building, known as La Mora Senior Housing, celebrated its grand opening on Tuesday, July 9 at 23 Mulberry St. in the Hollow neighborhood of South Yonkers. 

The project features 60 affordable apartments for seniors and was built by the nonprofit Mulford Corporation. 

In addition to giving seniors access to affordable units, the building was also built using Passive House design, a standard for energy efficiency that results in structures that need little energy for space heating or cooling. 

The design standard is estimated to achieve 40 to 60 percent energy savings over a normal building design, according to the Mulford Corporation. 

The four-story building, designed by the Perkins Eastman architectural firm, includes apartments with low-flow plumbing features; Energy Star appliances; LED lighting; individual high-efficiency electric heat and cooling; dual-pane insulated windows; and a central hot water heating and distribution system. 

In addition to these energy-efficient features, the building also includes a community room with a kitchen, two business rooms, a fitness center, a landscaped courtyard, and a rooftop deck.

The project was financed by: 

• $17 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds;
• Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that will generate $17.7 million in equity; 
• A $9.1 million subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal;
• $240,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority;
• $3.4 million from the Westchester County Housing Implementation Fund; 
• $1.615 million from the City of Yonkers HOME funds;
• A $2.6 million loan from the Mulford Corporation.

"The grand opening of this beautiful new senior housing development is yet another example of how the City of Yonkers and the Mulford Corporation are working together to revitalize our neighborhoods with affordable, quality-built housing," said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano during the grand opening celebration, which was also attended by officials from New York State, Westchester County, and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

A 22-year-old man faces several charges after leading officers on a chase with a moped in Westchester, during which one was injured, police said.

The incident happened during the evening rush hour on Friday, July 5, when a man led officers on a short pursuit on a moped in Rye on Theodore Fremd Avenue, Rye Police announced on Monday, July 8. 

During the chase, one officer sustained injuries, the department said. The extent and cause of the injuries was not released. 

Officers eventually caught up with the suspect, identified as Wilver Hiraldo, and apprehended him. 

Hiraldo, whose place of residence was not released by police, now faces multiple charges. 

One year after a 3-year-old New York girl was found murdered inside her home, the man responsible has formally confessed.

Rensselaer County resident Robert Fisher, age 34, of Rensselaer, pleaded guilty to murder and rape on Tuesday, July 9, in the death of Josefina Cunningham.

According to prosecutors, emergency crews were called to the girl's Rensselaer home near Broadway and Tracy Street on July 7, 2023, after relatives found her not breathing.

• Earlier Report: Man Rapes, Murders 3-Year-Old Girl At Home In Region, DA Says

Josefina’s mother found her lying lifeless on the floor, foaming at the mouth and drenched in bleach, the girl's brother, Jay Quan Stewart, told NoTearsForBlackGirls.com.

She was later pronounced dead at Albany Medical Center.

Fisher was a trusted friend of the family and was babysitting the girl at the time, Stewart told the blog. 

He was indicted three weeks later following an extensive investigation involving multiple agencies. 

Police determined that he had raped the girl sometime between 8 p.m. on July 6 and 7:20 a.m. on July 7, and caused her death during the act, WRGB reports.

In court Tuesday, Fisher pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree rape. 

He is expected to be sentenced Tuesday, Aug. 6.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of the child,” Rensselaer Police Chief Warren Famiglietti said. “This horrible incident has affected many people in many different ways.”

Authorities are urging residents to lock their cars after a Maserati was stolen from a New York neighborhood and used in a commercial burglary spree that took place in Connecticut and Massachusetts. 

The theft happened in Westchester County during the early morning hours on Thursday, July 4, when a Maserati was stolen from the Greenhaven area of Rye, the City of Rye Police Department announced on Monday, July 8. 

A Rye officer saw the theft while it was happening and tried to stop the suspects, leading to a police chase that ended soon after the stolen car crossed the Connecticut border. 

The pursuit was stopped after the suspects began driving recklessly and at high speed, the department added. 

The stolen Maserati was then used in at least four commercial burglaries in Connecticut and Massachusetts before it was found in the New Haven County town of Wolcott. More details about the burglaries were not released. 

The department announced no arrests related to the theft. Check back to Daily Voice for updates. 

This story has been updated. 

A crash on a busy parkway in Northern Westchester left a 33-year-old man dead. 

The incident happened on Monday, July 8 around 7:20 p.m. on the southbound Taconic State Parkway in Yorktown near Granite Knolls Park, according to Trooper AJ Hicks of the New York State Police. 

Arriving first responders found 33-year-old Ramon Feliu Disla of New York City ejected from his vehicle. Despite efforts from Good Samaritans to save his life, he was pronounced dead at the crash scene, Hicks said.

An investigation later determined that Feliu Disla had been driving a 2015 BMW M5 at high speed before hitting a guard rail and rolling over, according to Hicks. 

Several miles north of the crash scene, Feliu Disla may have engaged in a "speed contest" with an unknown motorcycle, Hicks said. Any witnesses who may have seen this are asked to call 914-769-2600 and reference case number 11927228. 

The incident also caused traffic delays on the parkway. 

The investigation into the crash is still ongoing. 

This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates. 

A federal criminal investigation is focusing on well-known hip-hop artist and longtime New Yorker Sean "Diddy" Combs, according to a report by NBC. 

Combs, a 54-year-old New York City native who grew up in Westchester County in Mount Vernon, was told that he is a focus of an ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by federal authorities in the Southern District of New York, NBC reported. 

The outlet added that as part of the probe, a federal grand jury is hearing evidence. There is nothing to suggest that charges are coming, though. 

Combs has not received a letter indicating that he is the target of an investigation and thus likely to be indicted, NBC reported. 

The probe comes months after Combs' Los Angeles and Miami properties were searched by federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations, which happened in March, according to the outlet. 

Combs has also been subject to numerous lawsuits alleging sexual assault allegations, including one filed on Wednesday, July 3 by former adult film star Adria English, who accused the producer of forcing her to engage in prostitution and sex work during parties held at his Miami and New York homes, according to a report by Entertainment Weekly.

Combs was also sued by former model Crystal McKinney, the winner of MTV's 1998 Model Mission competition show, in late May. In the lawsuit, McKinney alleges that Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2003 following a Men's Fashion Week event in New York City. 

Additionally, Combs faced another lawsuit from his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who he allegedly attacked in 2016 as seen in surveillance footage released by CNN. 

• Earlier Report - Mount Vernon's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Faces New Sexual Abuse Allegation: Report

According to reports, Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs in November 2023 that was settled within a day. 

Authorities in Westchester are asking for the public's help in finding a man who went missing after leaving his home. 

Robert "Bob" Cerbone, age 78, was last seen on Tuesday, July 9, around 3 a.m., walking away from his Irvington home on Hudson View Park.

According to the Irvington Police Department, Cerbone suffers from Alzheimer's disease and may be disoriented and confused. 

He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a blue shirt, and black sneakers. It is not known if he changed before leaving his home. 

He does not have a car, cell phone, or money and is believed to be traveling by foot. 

Anyone with information is asked to call Irvington Police at 914-591-8080. 

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This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates. 

This story has been updated. 

The body of a swimmer who went missing after taking a dip in the Hudson River in Westchester was recovered following an intense recovery effort. 

The person's disappearance happened on Monday, July 8 around 6 p.m., when a swimmer was reported to be in distress in the Hudson River by the area of Dobbs Ferry's Waterfront Park, according to the Dobbs Ferry Fire Department. 

Arriving crews spoke to witnesses, who said they saw a swimmer go under the water around 30 feet from the shoreline who did not resurface. 

More personnel were then called to the scene to help with the search effort, including the Piermont Fire Department, which used sonar technology to try and find the missing swimmer. 

Although crews continued searching for around three and a half hours, the effort was eventually called off due to darkness and a tide change, fire officials said. 

The search resumed at the swimmer's last known location on Tuesday morning, July 9, and resulted in the discovery of their body, Dobbs Ferry officials announced just before 1 p.m. 

The person is now being identified. More information has not yet been released. 

This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates. 

Beryl, now a tropical depression a day after becoming the first hurricane to make landfall in the US in 2024, will bring heavy rainfall to much of the Northeast.

Beryl was downgraded to a tropical storm late Monday morning, July 8, after it landed along the Texas coast as a Category 1 hurricane just before daybreak.

"Beryl's effects will be felt far beyond the Lone Star State this week as the storm will race north and east through the Midwest and then the Northeast, bringing heavy rain and a continued risk for a few tornadoes," according to AccuWeather.com.

Later on Tuesday, July 9, Beryl will merge with a frontal system as it treks north-northeast.

According to AccuWeather senior meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski, Beryl will transition into a tropical rainstorm as it moves farther inland.

"However, rain bands and squalls located to the east and southeast of Beryl’s center will contain a lot of spinning motion, which can spawn tornadoes," Pydynowski said.

Rainfall from Beryl is expected to make its way to the Northeast on Thursday, July 11, into Friday, July 12, when the region's most severe round of storms of the week are expected.

A widespread 2 to 4 inches of rainfall is predicted in the Northeast. (See the image above).

Areas farther south and along the coast should see around 1 to. 2 inches of rain.

Scattered afternoon and evening storms are possible in the region each day from Tuesday through Saturday, July 13, amid continued high heat and humidity.

Check back to Daily Voice for updates.

Authorities are warning residents not to fall for a false social media post claiming that a child is missing in the Hudson Valley. 

According to the Carmel Police Department in Putnam County, the fake post alleges that there is a missing 14-year-old child in Mahopac. 

The post comes from a page that repeatedly posts scam and hoax messages, the department said. 

In a screenshot of the post released by the department, the account that posted it was identified as "Jane Booger."