In the quiet early hours of February 24, 1985, a seemingly routine traffic stop on the Saw Mill River Parkway in Yonkers, New York, turned into a harrowing tragedy that would leave a lasting scar on the community. Westchester County Police Officer Gary Stymiloski, a 27-year-old male, pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation. As he was processing the stop, the driver of the vehicle, Alex Mengel, emerged from his car and fatally shot the officer.
The events that followed escalated in
their brutality. Mengel then took Officer Stymiloski's patrol car, with the officer's body still inside, and fled the scene. He later abandoned the police cruiser. His crime spree did not end there. Mengel proceeded to a nearby restaurant parking lot where he murdered a Mount Vernon woman and stole her vehicle to continue his escape.
Mengel managed to flee to Canada, where he was eventually apprehended by authorities. The process to bring him back to Westchester to face justice took a dramatic and violent turn. While being transported by New York State Police, Mengel attempted to escape custody. In the ensuing struggle, he was shot and killed by the transporting officers, bringing a swift and lethal end to his violent rampage. Officer Stymiloski had been a dedicated member of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety for three years.
