Chester, NY– On 2/16/24, at approximately 1100 hours, The Orange County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division assisted the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office with the service of a Temporary Order of Protection, firearms surrender with search and seizure conditions out of Rockland County Family Court on a 37-year-old male Aleksey Titov in the Village of Chester. During the service of the Order, Titov did not cooperate with Law Enforcement. He became combative and was taken into custody.
During the search of the apartment, a Rockland County Deputy located a bag that contained what appeared to be an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Upon discovery of the device, all police personnel backed out of the residence, secured the location, and began evacuating the surrounding apartments. The Rockland County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) was activated and responded to the scene. The BDU recovered three (3) intact incendiary devices, with numerous materials consistent with fabricating homemade Improvised Explosive Devices. After thorough searches of the residence by the professionally trained members of the BDU, the building was deemed safe for law enforcement to continue their search. The search resulted in the recovery of a loaded firearm, four loaded magazines, a quantity of approximately 17 grams of psychedelic mushrooms, and a ballistic vest from inside the residence.
Titov was charged with (3) counts of PL 265.02 (2) Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 3rd degree, class “D” felony for the incendiary devices, as well as (1) count of PL 265.01-b (1) Criminal Possession of a Firearm, a class “E” felony for the loaded firearm. Titov was arraigned in the Centralized Arraignment Part and released on his own recognizance to return to the Village of Chester court at a later date as these offenses are not bail-eligible according to the law. Custody of Titov was turned over to the Town of Haverstraw Police Department for an outstanding warrant. The investigation is continuing, and additional charges are pending.
Sheriff Arteta would like to thank all our partnering agencies for their joint effort during this extensive process. The safety of the community, residents, and our officers was the priority here. Sheriff Arteta said, “The success of this incident is due greatly to our partners in Rockland County. We appreciate the patience of the residents from the area and the support from all of our local partners, including Chester Town Supervisor Brandon Holdridge, who quickly offered resources for the affected residents. This really was a joint effort on all parts”. Sheriff Arteta reminds residents, “If you see something, say something. Report any suspicious activity immediately to Law Enforcement”.
Thank you to the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office, Rockland County Bomb Disposal Unit and Crime Scene Unit, Village and Town of Chester Police Departments, JTTF, ATF, Orange County District Attorney’s Office, multiple K9 units from across the County, and several FIRE and EMS agencies who assisted on scene.
A criminal charge is merely an allegation by the police that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
