Home health aide charged in 2015 knife threat, police say

A Connecticut woman who damaged three air conditioners and used a knife to threaten a person who confronted her in August 2015 was arrested Tuesday and charged with criminal mischief, Nassau police said.

Claudine Ebanks, 39, of Paft Pointe in Waterbury, was charged with second-degree criminal mischief, second-degree attempted grand larceny and second-degree menacing. She was being held in a police lockup and is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in First District Court in Hempstead, police said.

It was unclear Tuesday if she had hired an attorney.

Police said Ebanks, a self-employed home health aide, was involved in an incident on Harmony Lane in Westbury on Aug. 7, 2015, where she damaged three air conditioning units belonging to a victim. When another resident of the home responded to the commotion, police said, Ebanks threatened the person with a large kitchen knife, and left the scene. The following October, police said, the first victim was notified that someone had made several attempts to withdraw money from his bank account.

An investigation into both incidents led police to Ebanks, officials said, adding that Ebanks also had an outstanding warrant from West Virginia, but it was unclear for what alleged offense.

Police urged anyone who has information on Ebanks, who was a self-employed home health aide, to call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS.