The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office reports that Sheriff’s Deputies have charge a 29-year-old woman with falsely reporting an incident in the third degree and false personation.
At approximately 9:56 p.m. on Friday, June 22, evening, Sheriff’s Deputies, along with members of the Manlius Police Department and the New York State Police, responded to 8543 Indian Hill Road, Pompey for a reported abduction.
When police arrived they met with an Uber driver, Keith Ashline, of Auburn who advised that he had responded to 8543 Indian Hill Road to pick up a customer by the name of Peter. When he arrived he met with resident Peter Stickney, age 66, and Yenitza Agosto, age 29. Ashline advised that Agosto had entered his vehicle and once inside told him that there were two females inside Stickney’s residence handcuffed and being held against their will. Ashline called 911 and reported the incident.
When deputies arrived, they began interviewing Agosto attempting to obtain more information relative to the two females in the residence. During the interview, Agosto changed her story several times. She advised that Stickney was refusing to let her and the two females leave the residence and was threatening them with physical injury.
While Agosto was being interviewed, police were able to make contact with Stickney and the two females inside the residence who were later identified as Amanda Neally, 20, from Syracuse and Anne Schwartz, 28, from Baldwinsville. When police interviewed Neally and Schwartz they both advised that they were at Stickney’s residence on their own free will and were not being held captive.
During the course of the investigation, Agosto was charged with falsely reporting an incident in the third degree and false personation. Agosto had been providing deputies with the name of Melica Ortiz during the course of the investigation. When deputies were unable to confirm Agosto’s identity under the name of Melica Ortiz, members of the Sheriff’s Custody Division processed Agosto’s fingerprints through the Statewide Automated Finger Print Identification System and discovered Melica Ortiz real name was Yenitza Agosto.
Agosto is currently being held at the Onondaga County Justice Center pending her arraignment at 6 p.m. on June 23, at the Centralized Arraignment Court.
