NEWS & INFO

For more than 40 years, Canal Fest has been inseparable from the Erie Canal. It has been defined not only by rides, parades, craft tents and fireworks, but by geography. The festival has long unfolded across both banks of the canal that divides the City of Tonawanda in Erie County from North Tonawanda in Niagara County earning its identity as a true “Twin Cities” event.      This summer, however, Canal Fest will not line the Erie Canal at all.      Instead, the eight-day cele

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 10:20pm on February 19th after reports of a possible hostage situation on Oliver Street in North Tonawanda. The 911 caller - a third party and mother of the victim - told police that her daughter was being held against her will in an apartment. The caller told police that the name of the male suspect was Jamal Burton. Police responded to the scene. It is unknown if the male suspect was arrested. No further in

Mayor Austin Tylec used his annual State of the City address at the Riviera Theatre to highlight a wave of residential development, infrastructure upgrades and redevelopment efforts underway across North Tonawanda, while also defending the city’s financial management amid ongoing labor tensions and rising project costs.      Framing the city as one on the upswing, Tylec pointed to visible construction activity and what he described as steady fiscal footing.      “North Tonawa

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 1:30am on February 9th after reports of a home invasion and violent assault on the 500 block of Oliver Street in North Tonawanda. Dispatch advised that a male broke into the apartment and was physical with a female occupant. The female declined EMS at the time of the call. It is unknown if she opted to seek medical treatment herself. The 911 caller was a third party who heard the physical altercation. Screami

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 3:25am on February 1st after reports of a domestic disturbance on the 100 block of Tremont Street in North Tonawanda. The female 911 caller and victim said that the male locked her in the apartment and would not let her leave. She told police that he was unstable and on bath salts. The male took the caller's purse and was blocking her exit. After running his name, there were multiple hits for active orders of

A 15-year-old was arrested in North Tonawanda after police say he made threatening statements toward other juveniles and was later found to be in possession of a gun. The story was first reported on January 28th.   According to the North Tonawanda Police Department (NTPD), officers were alerted after staff at the North Tonawanda Youth and Recreation Center reported that a male teen had been making gun-related threats toward other youths with whom he was having ongoing conflic

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 4:09pm on January 30th after reports of menacing with a weapon outside of Walmart on Niagara Falls Boulevard in North Tonawanda. The 911 caller said that he was in the Walmart parking lot and saw an older model black Ford Escape. Inside of the vehicle were several white males in their teens, one of which said he has a gun. The teens were laughing and reportedly making several other comments as well to others,

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 12:17am on January 26th after reports of a violent assault on 8th Avenue in North Tonawanda. Several 911 callers said that they could hear a woman screaming for help inside of a van parked outside of a residence that was rocking side to side. One caller told police that the woman was screaming for at least ten minutes. The caller said she could hear the terror in her voice as the woman screamed. Other callers

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 11pm on January 23rd after reports of a check the welfare and medical emergency at Walmart on Niagara Falls Blvd. in North Tonawanda. The 911 caller said that a female employee was terminated and immediately began making statements about self-harm. The woman, who was in her 50's, began acting irrationally after her termination. While doing so, she began to make statements about hurting herself. As police arri

A Buffalo man has been sentenced to the maximum allowable prison term after repeatedly stalking a victim and defying orders of protection in North Tonawanda. Justin Rehan, 33-years-old, was sentenced on January 15th to a term of 4 to 12 years in prison by Niagara County Court Judge Caroline Wojtaszek. Rehan pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree criminal contempt stemming from repeated violations of an OOP. The case began in August 2024 when the NTPD received a compla

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 4:30am on January 11th after reports of a medical emergency on Witmer Road in the City of North Tonawanda. Police were requested to the location for a welfare check. The 911 caller said that an 84-year-old male was making suicidal comments and that he had a knife in the bathtub. Police responded to the scene and prevented what could have been a tragic outcome. If you are thinking about suicide or self-harm, h

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 12:30am on January 11th in the area of Stenzil and Oliver Street in North Tonawanda for a brawl outside of Ryan's bar. According to multiple 911 calls with sceraming and yelling in the background. The calls detailed possible weapons threatened and people on the ground being stomped on. The specific amount of people is unknown, but injuries were confirmed. Police and medical responded to the scene. It is unkno

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 8pm on January 10th after reports of an assault with a dangerous weapon on the 1300 block of D'Angelo Drive in North Tonawanda, Niagara County. The 911 caller said that he was "struck in the head multiple times" - in addition to other places on his body - with a frying pan of some sort. The size of the pan, as well as if it was cast iron or not, was not disclosed. The severity of his injuries are unknown, as

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 5:20am on January 7th after reports of a domestic incident with injuries on the 300 block of Oliver Street in North Tonawanda. The 911 caller and victim said that a male punched her in the face "several times" and requested an ambulance for emergency response. The male suspect was identified as a Kuron (spelling not exact) Thomas. When police were called, Thomas was said to be fleeing the location is a blue j

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 10:15pm on December 30th after reports of a domestic incident on the 1300 block of East Robinson Street in North Tonawanda, New York. The first 911 caller and victim stated that his father attempted to "crush him" with a garage door. Police responded to the scene. It is unknown if the father was arrested. There was then a second male related to the incident who was stopped by police and issued tickets. This m

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 5pm on December 7th reporting a homicide on Kingston Avenue North Tonawanda. The 911 caller stated that someone broke into his home attempting to kill his mother and sister. Ultimately, they killed him (the caller) instead. The caller told dispatch that he had multiple guns in the home (two shotguns and a rifle), but they were taken by the suspect(s) before they killed him. Yes, the 27-year-old male caller re

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 12:30pm on December 2nd after reports of a deceased body located in an apartment on Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda. North Tonawanda Fire and EMS responded to an apartment building after an initial report of a dead body. Both arrived on location and confirmed a 75-year-old deceased male in the apartment. His name has not been released. Foul play is not suspected. No further information is available at this

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 9:30pm on December 2nd after reports of a domestic dispute where a female was strangled. The 911 caller (and victim) called police and could be heard screaming to "get out of my house." She then became extremely out of breath and struggled to tell police that he had just strangled her. Once police and first responders arrived at the scene, the woman became uncooperative despite showing clear signs of having b

LISTEN TO POLICE AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 12:15am on December 3rd after reports of an assault on 5th Avenue in North Tonawanda. The 911 caller stated that a male hit a woman in the face. Altogether, it was reported that there were a group of four intoxicated individuals. The male also threatened a knife. The suspect male goes by the name of 'Fifty.' He was described as a black male wearing a grey fluffy coat. Police responded to the scene. It is unkn

LISTEN TO AUDIO BELOW Law enforcement received a call around 9:15pm on November 21st after reports of a domestic incident and possible assault on 8th Avenue in North Tonawanda. Police audio referred to it as a "physical domestic." Dispatch stated that a female could be heard screaming on the 911 call. She then reported that the aggressor was chasing her on foot attempting to attack her. Police responded to the scene. It is unknown if the male party was arrested. No further i