Shopping Cart Attack and More Hudson Valley Parking Lot Craziness

Hudson Valley parking lots have become total chaos this week.

If it feels like the parking space next to yours has turned into the set of a reality show, you’re not imagining it. Police have had their hands full over the past few days, responding to a string of bizarre and sometimes frightening incidents in lots outside local stores.

Elderly Aldi Cart Attack

It all started at the Aldi in the Town of Ulster, where officers say an eighty-three-year-old Kingston man intentionally rammed his shopping cart into someone’s parked car.

According to the Ulster Police Department, the alleged crash happened on February 3. The driver was not behind the wheel of a vehicle at the time. Instead, investigators say he used his shopping cart to cause the damage.

The man, identified by police as William F. Dilg, was charged with Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree. It's unclear why police believe Dilg decided to ram his cart into someone's vehicle, but he has been released on an appearance ticket.

Knife Incident Outside Walmart

Just a few hours later, officers wound up dealing with a much more dangerous situation. Police say 29-year-old Vinnie M. Falsetta of Oneonta got into a dispute in the Walmart parking lot, also in the Town of Ulster.

During the argument, investigators say Falsetta brandished a knife and threatened the victim. By the time officers arrived, Falsetta was already gone. She was found shortly afterward in Saugerties by local police and taken into custody.

Falsetta is charged with Menacing in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree. She was held at the Ulster County Jail awaiting arraignment.

Another Walmart Arrest

Then there was the case on February 6 involving thirty-five-year-old Diana C. Culver of Kingston. Officers say Culver stole more than $300 worth of merchandise from Walmart and was stopped outside the store.

Police say she verbally and physically resisted officers who were attempting to take her into custody, creating quite a scene once again in the parking lot. Culver is charged with Petit Larceny, Resisting Arrest and Obstructing Governmental Administration. She was released on an appearance ticket.

Between the cart attack, the knife incident and the scuffle outside Walmart, shoppers simply trying to get in and out of the store with their packages have been treated to quite a show. If you’re heading out shopping in the next few days, especially in Ulster County, you may want to bring some popcorn.