Investigation turned over to state police
A retired Beacon police officer is being held without bail on a murder charge after a shooting late Monday (July 21) at 86 Rombout Ave.
According to the New York State Police, Edison Irizarry, 52, of Beacon, was arrested at 11:26 p.m. and charged with murder in the first degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and criminal possession of a firearm, all felonies. He pleaded not guilty during a Beacon City Court appearance on July 22 and is scheduled to return to court on Friday for a preliminary hearing.
The police identified the victim as Casey Cuddy, 58, of Beacon, who they said was found dead at the scene. Cuddy was a psychiatric mental health nurse and actor who performed for the Dutchess County Players in Wappingers Falls. According to a program biography, the Finger Lakes native moved to the Hudson Valley in September 2022 and previously lived in Los Angeles and Oregon. In November 2022, Cuddy placed a classified ad in The Current seeking a roommate to share his first-floor Beacon apartment.
A July 2021 Facebook post by the Beacon police officers’ union congratulated Irizarry on his recent retirement from the Police Department. Irizarry, a Marine veteran, served as an officer at Beacon for 17 years, according to the post. During his time with the Beacon force, he worked as a field training officer and detective.
Beacon Police Chief Tom Figlia said in a news release on Tuesday that officers received a call Monday from an individual who said he had shot his roommate. Upon arrival, “it was determined that one of the individuals involved was a retired Beacon police officer,” the release said. It said that, “to maintain the highest integrity, the entire investigation was turned over to the New York State Police.”
The Beacon department will cooperate “fully and completely” with the investigation, Figlia said.
