Two arrested in local shooting

ARREST James NealARREST Tyshen Matthews(1)Two New York City men were arrested Friday in connection with an April 11 armed robbery at the Hampton Hotel that police believe led to a shooting several hours later at the Whitehall Mobile Home Park.

Tyshen Matthews, 41, and James Neal, 40, of Brooklyn, are believed to have been part of a group that allegedly robbed at gunpoint a group of suspected drug dealers of electronics and jewelry.

The robbery is alleged to have occurred just before midnight on April 11 and several hours later, relatives of the two women who were robbed went to the mobile home park and fired 10 shots into a home where they believed the robbers were. No one was hurt in the shooting, but several people in the trailer and an adjoining home were narrowly missed by the bullets.

Jessica Lussier, 34, and Angela Lawrence, 34, both of Whitehall, lived in the home that was targeted by the shooters. They were both arrested and charged with robbery in the first degree last month.

The two New York City men have been of interest to police since the incident and local State Police and the Washington County Sheriff’s worked with law enforcement personnel from New York City to track the men down.

Both were found in New York City and were charged with robbery in the first degree, arraigned and sent to Washington County Jail.

Police believe the robbery and the shooting were part of a turf war among the groups, who are thought to be drug dealers and some of whom are believed to have connections to street gangs.

There have now been eight arrests made in connection to the shooting. Francisco Gonzalez, 23, and Jose Febus, 41, both of Hartford Ct., were charged on April 13 with attempted murder, criminal use of a firearm, conspiracy to commit murder, reckless endangerment and possession of a controlled substance.

Febus’ daughter, Brendaliz Febus, 21, was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, She was one of the robbery victims.

Robert Wescott, 19, of Whitehall was also arrested for allegedly driving the shooting suspects to the mobile home park.

State Police said the investigation of the robbery and the shooting remains ongoing and additional arrests and charges are possible.