Two men arrested after shots fired at a Westerlo home

WESTERLO — Two men who knew each other were arrested in Westerlo on Sept. 3 following a confrontation that involved gunfire and property damage, according to a press release from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office. 

Last Friday night, Brian Rueli, 42, of Connecticut, drove to the home of Erik Juhansoo, 40, of Westerlo, and smashed through a metal gate prohibiting access to the property before breaking a window on Juhansoo’s home, the release says.

After Rueli broke the window, the release says, Juhansoo fired six shots from a .22-caliber rifle at Rueli while Rueli was in his vehicle, all of which struck the vehicle but not Rueli.

The release states that Juhansoo was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree criminal mischief — both felonies.

For his part, Rueli was charged with first-degree criminal mischief, a felony, and third-degree criminal trespass, a misdemeanor, the release says.

More Hilltowns News

  • The Knox candidates are in, with town Clerk Traci Delaney (formerly Schanz) running for town supervisor on the Republican line, and former Berne-Knox-Westerlo Board of Education member Chasity McGivern challenging her on the Democratic line. 

  • Albany County, in one of its first acts as owner of the property, has fixed up the road leading up to Switzkill Farm as it prepares for more improvements down the line. 

  • Although an old agreement is still in place and would remain so indefinitely, the town of Berne is considering signing a new contract with the cable company, Spectrum, that would keep the franchise fee the town receives from the company the same but would remove an obligation for Spectrum to build new infrastructure in areas that meet a household-density threshold. 

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