Town of Palm Beach Alerts and News Releases
National Police Week: Recognizing Palm Beach's Very Own
- Detective Buscemi
- Palm Beach Police Department Officer of the Quarter (Q1 2024)
- Sergeant Reyes
- Honoree for 2024 First Responders Appreciation Foundation (FRAF) LEO Award for Valor/Heroism
- Recipient of Florida Police Chiefs Association 2023 Lee McGehee Police Officer of the Year Award
BUSCEMI
On January 14, 2024, at 0403 hours, officers responded to Everglade Avenue in reference to a Burglary in Progress. The resident at this location contacted 911, reporting an intruder in her home. The intruder, dressed in black, wearing a ski mask, ignored the homeowner's pleas to leave the residence. He stole cash, a credit card, and two sets of car keys from a shelf near the front door before leaving through the back door where two other male suspects were waiting. The homeowner watched as the intruder stole her Range Rover. The vehicle was seen leaving along with a blue Tesla.
Detective Buscemi was notified and was sent a video from the victim's security cameras. While reviewing the suspects in the video, he noted clothing distinctions. He also reviewed footage from Town surveillance cameras that showed the Tesla leaving Town via the Flagler Bridge with the stolen Range Rover shortly after the Burglary occurred. A records check revealed the tag attached to the Tesla was an unreported stolen tag from a vehicle parked at a hotel in Broward County. By using LPR data, Detective Buscemi uncovered that a Tesla had been hitting LPRs in Pembroke Pines with the stolen Range Rover. This time, the Tesla had the correct tag affixed to the rear bumper and a Town of Palm Beach parking permit sticker that had been removed from the stolen vehicle and affixed to the bumper of the Tesla. This information helped establish that the Tesla was involved in the above crime.
Detective Buscemi contacted the owner of the Tesla and discovered a known subject, a suspect in at least three other recent cases involving high-end motor vehicle thefts in the Town of Palm Beach, had rented the vehicle. Utilizing contacts in Broward County, Detective Buscemi identified a second subject in this case as well and was able to verify cell phone numbers for both suspects. He was then able to obtain cell site warrants for the suspects' phones, revealing they were both in the victim's home at the time of the crime.
Detective Buscemi also obtained a search warrant for digital evidence derived from the Tesla's "Sentry Mode," the camera system affixed to the exterior of the Tesla. This type of warrant is a first for any detective in Palm Beach County. Upon executing this warrant, Detective Buscemi obtained video recorded by the vehicle's exterior cameras showing Grayson without a mask, wearing the same clothing that he wore in Palm Beach during the occupied burglary. The footage captured Grayson and another unknown male going in and out of the victim's stolen Range Rover at an address in Pembroke Pines. The video also revealed various stolen vehicle stash locations that the criminal group used to "cool off' their recently stolen vehicles before taking them to chop shops or transporting them to other destinations. Using contacts within the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Detective Buscemi obtained warrants for the two subjects. The suspects were later taken into custody to face justice in Palm Beach County.
Detective Buscemi attended the first subject’s first appearance hearing to ensure the highest bond possible to disrupt the group's criminal activity. The judge and the State Attorney reviewing the case during first appearance complimented Detective Buscemi for his investigation and his commitment to the residents of Palm Beach. The State Attorney's Office also notified the CIU Lieutenant of Detective Buscemi's excellent work on this case and that his thinking outside the box helped secure arrest warrants for both subjects.
Detective Buscemi works tirelessly on behalf of the residents of our community. The victims that he assists gain relief and confidence in the safety of our Town, and his collaboration with other law enforcement partners is transformative. Detective Buscemi deserves the highest levels of recognition for his selfless efforts and peerless work product.
REYES
On the morning of June 18, 2023, Sgt. Reyes responded to 2778 S. Ocean Boulevard, in reference to a woman pacing on the roof of a 5-story condominium building. The woman was an employee of the condominium, and her co-workers had been concerned with her missing from her work area. Upon Sgt. Reyes’ arrival, it was learned that the woman was an employee of the condominium that was experiencing a mental health crisis and contemplating suicide by jumping from the roof to the parking lot.
Initial responding officers were unable to make meaningful contact with the woman, as their mere presence on the roof was causing her to make overt attempts to get closer to the edge of the roof and jump. Sgt. Reyes made her way to the roof, and through the use of incredibly well timed and placed de-escalation and conversational skills, she was able to quickly establish a rapport with the woman on the premise that the other officers were out of sight. For an extended time, she exercised crisis intervention training skills and experience in critical situations in concerted and rapid attempts to further de-escalate the situation through negotiations with the distressed subject. Throughout this process, Sgt. Reyes continued to coordinate resource response until relieved of those coordination duties by another supervisor.
Unfortunately, the woman was steadfast in her desire to commit suicide and would get closer to the edge of the building anytime Sgt. Reyes attempted to get closer to her. Eventually she sat on the ledge and threw her legs over to the other side. Some papers containing suicidal ideations belonging to the woman blew off of the roof towards the parking lot, which momentarily distracted her from Sgt. Reyes’ position, as well as cemented her desire to carry out her suicidal intentions. With mere seconds to cover the space between herself and the woman, Sgt. Reyes made a split-second decision to put herself at risk and sprint across the low traction roof and grab the woman as she began to heave herself from the wall.
Sgt. Reyes was able to make it barely in time while overcoming her forward momentum to pull both herself and the struggling distressed woman from the ledge where her fellow officers were then able to respond and assist. Sgt. Reyes made an instantaneous decision under great stress to save a life while putting her own at extreme risk when no safety equipment was in place, and circumstances could have easily turned out differently. Her calm, quick actions along with disregard for her own safety saved the life of a person in grave mental distress who was then able to receive needed treatment.
This event was captured on BWC and covered by several media outlets.
Additionally, Detective Buscemi, Fleet Manager Todd MacLauchlin, and Telecommunicator Supervisor Tina Funk received nominations for the 2024 FRAF LEO Awards.
Congratulations to everyone!
