Dino Savoca, 61, of Colonie, is charged with second-degree kidnapping and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, both felonies, as well as second-degree menacing, a misdemeanor. He pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment Tuesday where bail was set at $50,000.Â
Judge Joshua Farrell ruled Friday that prosecutors showed reasonable cause of the weapons possession charge, meaning all charges will go before a grand jury. Albany County Assistant District Attorney Stephen Lydon said more charges could potentially be found by the grand jury.
Police confirmed Savoca’s mother died only a day after the incident, but did not clarify what her cause of death was.
In testimony Friday, Albany Police Detective Mark Dibble described entering Room C344 at Albany Med and immediately being confronted with a barricade made of up a recliner chair and medical stands. Savoca was sitting upright on the bed with a slumped over, unconscious woman, he said. He said what appeared to be a pistol and a sawed-off shotgun were to Savoca’s left.
Police previously reported what appeared to be a pistol was actually a BB gun. Detective Matthew Serpe said in testimony Friday the confiscated shotgun was found cocked and ready to fire, with one 12-gauge round inside.
Dibble said Savoca did not respond to his commands, and other officers from his unit took him from the room and handcuffed him.
“The members had to drag him out, as he wouldn’t walk,” Dibble said.
Savoca’s attorney Martin Bonventre focused much of his cross-examination on Savoca’s mental state at the time, including a note made by Serpe that he was “not coherent.” In testimony Friday, Serpe said he had observed he was “possibly” not coherent, based on communications from other police at the scene.
Savoca’s previous attorney, county Public…
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