State Police Arrest Callicoon Man for Road Rage Incident in the T...

On January 12, 2025, at approximately 2:39 p.m., New York State Police from the Liberty barracks responded to a road rage incident on Warner Road in the town of Fremont.

The preliminary investigations revealed that a 23-year-old female and a 26-year-old male victim had previously engaged in a verbal and physical altercation with 51-year-old John Paterno of Callicoon, NY, near his residence. Both parties separated following the dispute, and the victims left the scene shortly after. The situation escalated when Paterno followed the victims in a 2018 Ford Fusion and fired multiple rounds from a handgun at their 2008 Honda CRV, resulting in a collision between the two vehicles. Both parties separated after the incident and police were called.

Paterno was located at his residence and arrested without incident. He was charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd Degree (C felony), Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree (E felony), and Reckless Endangerment in the 1st Degree (D felony). Police later recovered the firearm used in the incident at Paterno's residence.

Paterno was arraigned at the Town of Liberty Court and remanded to Sullivan County Jail on $50,000 cash bail, $100,000 bond, or $250,000 partially secured bond. He is scheduled to return to court on January 15, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.