GATES, N.Y. — Members of law enforcement from multiple local agencies, as well as other local leaders, gathered for a news briefing Monday morning to provide more information in the case of an attempted carjacking in Gates that turned deadly.
Many also expressed significant frustration at the current state of the criminal justice system that they say is impacting the safety of the community. They spoke out against the violence in Rochester and Monroe County to say enough is enough.
"I can't do it. The mayor can't do it. The superintendent of schools can't do it," said Gates Police Chief James VanBrederode. "It has to come from that desire to not have our streets look like a war zone. And that's exactly what we have right now...a war zone. And you know what? You can't blame some terrorist who came in to do that. We can't blame people from Chicago who came up here. These are our own Rochesterians killing Rochesterians. This is our problem. We own it. Somehow, we have to come up with a solution to it."
During the briefing, Chief VanBrederode revealed the full timeline of events leading up to the shooting of Richard Sciascia on Buell Road on April 7.
Police have previously announced the arrests of two 16-year-olds in the case. Edgar Tolentino and Anthony Jacobs are currently being held in a juvenile detention center. They are both charged with murder, according to investigators. Both have pleaded not guilty.
(From Left to Right: Edgar Tolentino and Anthony Jacobs)
Chief VanBrederode said Tolentino first started stealing cars in Florida after he and another woman would set up meetings with victims they contacted through Facebook marketplace. The two would allegedly meet at a public location and then take off with the car after asking for a test drive.
Police say Tolentino returned to Upstate New York in a stolen Mercedes. That’s when the chief says police started seeing several carjackings in the Rochester area that became increasingly brazen, culminating in Sciascia's death in the attempted carjacking.
A stolen black sedan police say was used in the fatal shooting on April 7 was taken into custody that night. Chief Vanbrederode said the car itself contained evidence connecting it to Sciascia's murder even though the person who was arrested while driving it was not involved.
According to investigators, at that point, Tolentino was then on their radar. He was taken into custody two days after the shooting and was held on a warrant from Florida before being charged with murder a few weeks later, police say. Spectrum News is told the evidence police had then later connected Anthony Jacobs to the crime.
Chief VanBrederode says Jacobs’ mother reluctantly turned him in to authorities on Friday after the family came under increasing pressure due to the search for the teen.
Now, members of local law enforcement at Monday's brifing say the entire case is being used as an example for law enforcement that something needs to change in the criminal justice system to stop young people from committing violent crimes.
Chief VanBrederode and other law enforcement officers and county leaders spoke out against bail reform during the briefing. They also raised concerns over the age of what’s considered to a juvenile and other issues they believe play a role in the rise in crime.
Police say the reforms, which took place on the state level, are "well-intentioned," but had unforeseen consequences.