Middletown Custodian Arrested After Police Find Loaded Handgun at High School

Ralph Sabater, 39, a Town of Wallkill resident identified as a custodial employee for the Middletown school district, was arrested after Town of Wallkill police say officers found a loaded Taurus GC3, 9mm handgun inside his vehicle parked on the grounds of Middletown High School at about 3:07 a.m. Thursday. The stop and discovery took place at the campus address variously reported as 30 Gardner Ave., 30 Gardner Avenue Ext., and 30 Gardner Avenue Extension.

According to the Town of Wallkill Police Department, an officer stopped the vehicle parked on school grounds and determined the driver appeared to be under the influence of a substance. After the officer took the driver into custody, a search of the vehicle yielded the loaded firearm. Multiple local outlets reported the search occurred after Sabater’s arrest or detention.

Reporting across Patch, 101.5 WPDH, Hudson Valley Post and others identified the weapon specifically as a Taurus GC3, 9mm caliber handgun; Daily Voice and Mid-Hudson News used shorter descriptions such as “Taurus 9mm” or “9mm handgun.” All accounts that named the model noted the gun was loaded; none of the published reports included information on registration, permit status, or whether the firearm was legally owned.

Police charged Sabater with criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds and criminal possession of a firearm in a sensitive location, along with driving while ability impaired by drugs (phrased in some reports as driving while under the influence of a substance) and other vehicle and traffic law violations. The specific statute numbers and any additional prosecutorial details were not included in the initial reporting.

After being issued an appearance ticket, Sabater was released and is scheduled to appear in Town of Wallkill Court on March 18, according to the accounts. Several outlets — Patch, WPDH, Daily Voice, Mid-Hudson News and Hudson Valley Post — reported the same court date and that he was issued an appearance ticket returnable to town court.

Local reports consistently identified Sabater as a school custodial worker but used varying employer phrasings: “custodial employee for the City of Middletown School District,” “custodian in the Enlarged City School District of Middletown,” and “custodial employee in the Middletown City School District.” None of the stories included a statement from the Middletown School District about his employment status, whether he was on duty at the time, or any personnel actions taken.

The Town of Wallkill Police Department supplied the factual timeline in the initial reports; court filings and the police incident report are expected to provide further detail at Sabater’s March 18 appearance, including whether prosecutors will amend or add charges and whether any evidence about ownership or legal status of the firearm will be disclosed.