Former Tuckahoe Police Chief’s Wife at Center of Incident Now Under DA Review
An independent investigation is underway into the circumstances surrounding a police response involving a vehicle that entered the Village of Tuckahoe last week, village officials confirmed. The incident occurred on Friday, August 14, when a vehicle entered Tuckahoe following an earlier incident in the City of Yonkers. Village officials have not disclosed what occurred during the initial incident in Yonkers or provided specific details about the subsequent response by members of the Tuckahoe Police Department.
However, Tuckahoe Police Chief John Rotta, after consulting with Mayor Cara Kronen and the village administrator, determined that both the circumstances surrounding the incident and the police response warranted an independent review. The Village subsequently contacted Westchester County seeking an outside investigation and was referred to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, which is now reviewing the matter.
Sources close to the District Attorney’s Office confirmed to Black Westchester that the investigation is being handled by its Public Integrity and Law Enforcement Bureau. The office declined to provide additional information while the review remains ongoing. In an August 20 statement provided to Black Westchester, the Office of Mayor Cara Kronen emphasized the Village’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
“The Village of Tuckahoe is aware of questions regarding an incident that occurred on Friday, August 14th, involving a motor vehicle that entered the Village following an earlier incident in the City of Yonkers.
We are committed to transparency, accountability and maintaining the public’s confidence in our Village government and Police Department.
To ensure that this matter receives an independent and impartial review, the Tuckahoe Police Chief, in consultation with Mayor Kronen and the Village Administrator, determined that the circumstances surrounding the incident and the subsequent police response should be reviewed by an outside agency. Chief Rotta and Mayor Kronen firmly believe that absolute transparency is paramount in maintaining public trust and upholding the integrity of the Police Dept.
Consequently, the Village immediately contacted Westchester County to request an independent review and was referred to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. The matter is now with the District Attorney’s Office for its investigation.
While this investigation is ongoing, the Village cannot comment further on the facts or circumstances of the incident. We appreciate the community’s understanding and will provide additional information when it is appropriate to do so.”
Village officials said the decision to seek an outside review was intended to ensure the incident receives an “independent and impartial” investigation and stressed that transparency is essential to maintaining public confidence in both the Village government and its Police Department.
For now, several key questions remain unanswered, including what occurred in Yonkers before the vehicle entered Tuckahoe, what prompted the Tuckahoe Police response, and what aspects of that response led officials themselves to conclude that an independent investigation was necessary. The Village said no further details will be released while the District Attorney’s investigation remains active, but officials pledged to provide additional information when appropriate.
Black Westchester has independently learned that the incident under review allegedly involved Donna Costanzo, the wife of retired Village of Tuckahoe Police Chief John Costanzo. According to sources familiar with the matter, Donna Costanzo was allegedly intoxicated and may have been involved in collisions with two vehicles in Yonkers before striking a third vehicle in Tuckahoe. Black Westchester has also been told that, following the incident, she was allegedly driven home by a member of the Tuckahoe police rather than being taken into custody.
At this time, those details have not been publicly confirmed by the Village of Tuckahoe, the Tuckahoe Police Department, or the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, which is conducting an independent review of the incident and the subsequent police response.
Donna Costanzo is married to retired Tuckahoe Police Chief John Costanzo, who currently serves as Executive Director of the Westchester County Chiefs of Police Association.
Given the seriousness of the allegations, the central questions are no longer limited to what happened on the road that night, but also who responded, what actions were taken, whether standard procedures were followed, and whether anyone received preferential treatment because of their relationship to a former police chief.
It is encouraging that, rather than attempting to handle the matter quietly or solely within the department, the Village of Tuckahoe has taken a proactive approach by referring the incident for an independent and impartial investigation. In a time when public trust in law enforcement is often tested by questions of transparency and accountability, the decision to bring in an outside agency is an important step toward ensuring that the facts are fully examined and that the public can have confidence in the process.
Stay with Black Westchester for the latest updates as more information becomes available.
