People v. Caviano

148 Misc. 2d 426, 560 N.Y.S.2d 932, 1990 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 471
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 27, 1990
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 148 Misc. 2d 426 (People v. Caviano) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Caviano, 148 Misc. 2d 426, 560 N.Y.S.2d 932, 1990 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 471 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1990).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Richard C. Failla, J.

In the early morning hours of January 4, 1989, John Breitenbruck was the victim of a gunpoint robbery while on duty as a taxicab driver. According to the statements of the defendant Caviano, he and two other young men hailed Mr. Breitenbruck’s cab and asked to be taken to 80 North Moore Street in lower Manhattan. Upon their arrival at this destination, all three men displayed pistols and announced a stickup. After stealing Mr. Breitenbruck’s money, the three robbers fled to a waiting car and then to nearby Greenwich Street.

Caviano’s statements further recount that in the early morning hours of January 5, 1989, Wellington Yick-Yee, also a taxicab driver, picked up the defendant and two others in the vicinity of Canal Street and Broadway in Manhattan. At their direction, Mr. Yick-Yee took the men to West Thames Street and South End Avenue, a desolate area near new construction in Battery Park City. There, Wellington Yick-Yee also became a victim of a gunpoint robbery. This time, however, after displaying their pistols and announcing a stickup, one of the men went to the driver’s door. When the driver failed to sit still, the man fired a single shot from his .25 caliber automatic weapon, fatally striking Mr. Yick-Yee in the head.

Almost one year later, on December 3, 1989, the defendant, Sean Caviano, was arrested on a naval base outside of Chicago, Illinois. Thereafter, the defendant was extradicted to New York where he was ultimately indicted for the crimes of murder in the second degree (Penal Law § 125.25), robbery in the first degree (Penal Law § 160.15), and robbery in the second degree (Penal Law § 160.10). He has now moved this court for an order suppressing his statements.

On June 21, 1990, June 22, 1990, June 26, 1990, and June 28, 1990, this court conducted a Dunaway-Huntley hearing. The statements in issue were made on December 2, 1989, and December 3, 1989, at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois. Detective Michael Clark, Detective Ernest Bugge, Chief Petty Officer Russell Drummond, and Special Agent John Andrew Hogan testified for the People. The defense called Vilma Rose; Denise Caviano Kostoglian, the defendant’s [428]*428mother; and the defendant as witnesses. Both parties then presented oral and written arguments after consideration of which the court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The court finds all of the witnesses, except the defendant, to be truthful and fully credits their testimony. The court credits much of the defendant’s testimony, including that he was not under any duress when he gave the statements and that the details he gave about the robberies and the murder are correct to the best of his recollection. These findings are based on this court’s observations of the witnesses while they testified; their demeanor as they testified; the manner in which they responded to questions; and the consistency with which each witness testified, both internally and in relation to others.

Most of the events leading up to the defendant’s arrest are undisputed. On December 1, 1989, Detective Michael Clark, a 22-year veteran of the New York City Police Department, the last five of which he has served on the Manhattan South Task Force, responded to the First Precinct to assist detectives there in the investigation into the January 5, 1989, homicide-robbery of Wellington Yick-Yee. Information from Rajendra Paltoo, who has also been indicted for the robbery of January 4, 1989, and the robbery-homicide of January 5, 1989, implicated the defendant as a participant in both the homicide-robbery and the armed robbery. Nareish Paltoo, Rajendra Paltoo’s brother, who is not alleged to be a participant in either of these crimes, provided additional information that implicated Caviano in the commission of the crimes. Based on this information, the detectives believed that they had probable cause to arrest the defendant and this court so finds.

Hoping to locate Caviano, Detective Ernest Bugge, also of the Manhattan South Homicide Task Force, his partner and his sergeant went to the home of the defendant’s mother and stepfather in Manhattan at approximately 10:00 p.m. on December 1, 1989. The family’s babysitter for the past four years, Vilma Rose, answered the door. She identified herself and stated that the defendant’s mother and stepfather were out for the evening. One of the officers displayed a gold shield, identified the group as police officers, and inquired about the defendant. Ms. Rose stated that the defendant had joined the [429]*429Navy some months ago and that she thought he was stationed in San Francisco. The defendant’s five-year-old stepsister appeared at the door at this time and said that the defendant was stationed in Chicago.

On the following morning, from his office within the Thirteenth Precinct, Detective Bugge telephoned the Great Lakes Naval Station and requested to speak with the duty agent. Special Agent John Andrew Hogan of the Naval Investigative Service (NIS) returned Detective Bugge’s call at approximately 9:45 a.m. on December 2, 1989. Special Agent Hogan is a counterintelligence agent whose work involves security-related investigations, espionage, and criminal investigations. As a civilian employee of the Navy, Hogan does not have a rank.

Detective Bugge informed Hogan that he was working on a homicide and that a suspect, the defendant, Sean Caviano, may be on the base. Mr. Hogan then contacted Ensign Lyman, the command duty officer (CDO), who confirmed that the defendant was a member of the training center and presently on the basé attending classes. Hogan recontacted Detective Bugge between 11:00 a.m. and noon, and advised him that the defendant was on the base. Detective Bugge responded by stating that he and Detective Clark would like to come to the base and speak to the defendant, if the defendant was willing to talk to them. At approximately 3:00 p.m., on December 2, 1989, Detective Bugge again telephoned Mr. Hogan to confirm that he and Detective Clark would be out later that evening. Bugge also asked Agent Hogan not to take any action in relation to the defendant.

The two detectives arrived, without an arrest warrant, at the Naval Station sometime after 10:00 p.m. central standard time on December 2, 1989. Special Agent Hogan met the detectives at the reception area and escorted them to the NIS office. Pursuant to Navy procedure, Ensign Lyman was notified and he also went to the NIS office.

Shortly after 10:00 p.m., the defendant was interrupted in class and instructed to take his belongings and step outside the classroom where the Duty Master at Arms/Chief Petty Officer Russell Drummond and Petty Officer Cox were waiting. Master at Arms/Chief Petty Officer Drummond, whose responsibilities include enforcing discipline and good order, told the defendant that the CDO wanted to talk to him. Chief Petty Officer Drummond, who wears a uniform and a badge, but who does not carry a weapon, is an instructor at the base and [430]*430assumes the duties of master at arms on a rotating basis. He believed that he was conveying an order to the defendant, although the defendant had the right to refuse that order. Inasmuch as Ensign Lyman had not instructed Drummond to arrest or detain the defendant in any way, the two petty officers simply escorted the defendant to the NIS building. The defendant was not under guard at this time. Neither Drummond nor Cox remained in the NIS building during the defendant’s interview.

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Related

People v. Caviano
194 A.D.2d 429 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1993)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
148 Misc. 2d 426, 560 N.Y.S.2d 932, 1990 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 471, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-caviano-nysupct-1990.