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 town of Rensselaerville appointed Jason Wood as deputy highway superintendent after the previous one, Warren Bashwinger, was let go for undisclosed reasons. 

  • This year, Hilltown residents will vote in a majority-number of town board members in each town, including Berne, where all five seats will be open due to the number of vacancies that need to be filled. 

  • Berne-Knox-Westerlo is looking at a roughly $700,000 shortfall in its 2025-26 budget despite a 3.3 percent property-tax hike, due to widespread cost increases and decreases in state aid. The gap will have to be closed through “creative” reductions, Superintendent Bonnie Kane said. 

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