An Elmsford woman is facing up to 25 years in prison after a jury found her guilty of burglary, weapon and menacing charges for brandishing a handgun when she barged into the Port Chester home of her ex-girlfriend’s family and threatened them, the Westchester District Attorney’s Office announced.
Brooke Manderson, 36, was convicted of first-degree burglary and second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, all felonies, and misdemeanor charges of first- and second-degree menacing Wednesday, May 27, following a trial in Westchester County Court.
According to the DA’s news release, on Dec. 28, 2024, Manderson went to the Port Chester home and banged on the door, demanding to see her ex-girlfriend. When a relative began to open the door, Manderson pushed her way inside and pulled out a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which she brandished as she threatened members of the family.
When police arrived outside, Manderson dumped the gun in the living room and was soon taken into custody.
“The defendant subjected her former girlfriend and the woman’s family to an unrelenting campaign of harassment, showing up at their door, menacing them with a loaded gun and demanding to see her former partner,” District Attorney Susan Cacace said in a statement. “Thanks to the jury’s 10-count guilty verdict, this campaign has met its end.”
But defense lawyer Christina T. Hall told The Journal News/lohud on Thursday, May 28, that she was “flabbergasted” by the verdict, which came on the third day of deliberations. She said Manderson testified credibly that she had been invited into the home and that the gun had not been hers but rather belonged to a resident of the apartment. She said jurors “clearly didn’t understand what reasonable doubt was”.
“This is definitely an injustice,” Hall said. “We’ll be moving forward with an appeal.”
Westchester Judge Robert Prisco ordered Manderson held without bail at the county jail until sentencing, which he scheduled for June 30.
Cacace commended the victims for their courage in coming forward and Port Chester police, state police and prosecutors Janelle Armentano and Jessica Soares for their work on the case..
She urged anyone experiencing abuse or trying to flee an abusive relationship to contact the Special Prosecutions Division in her office at 914-995-3000.
According to court records, Manderson still faces drug, weapon and criminal contempt charges stemming from the discovery of oxycodone pills, methamphetamine, cocaine, two guns and more than 100 rounds of ammunition during the execution of a search warrant at her Ridgeview Terrace home in July 2025. Elmsford police obtained the warrant after Manderson’s new girlfriend made multiple domestic violence complaints against her.
Manderson had been required to surrender any weapons months earlier following her arrest in the Port Chester case.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Guilty verdict for Elmsford woman who threatened ex, family at gunpoint
Reporting by Jonathan Bandler, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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