The Bethlehem police arrested a couple of purse-snatchers the day before Thanksgiving.
On Wednesday, Nov. 26, Shateek M. Cain, 24, of Albany, was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony, and petty larceny, a misdemeanor.
Gerald E. Quick, 46, of Albany was charged the same day with third-degree burglary and fourth-degree grand larceny, both felonies, from an incident that occurred on Nov. 13.
Bethlehem police said they arrested Cain for two purse-snatching incidents that occurred at the Wal-Mart store in Glenmont. Cain allegedly stole purses from the shopping carts of two separate victims.
Lieutenant Thomas Heffernan said this might not have been Cain’s first offense.
He was a suspect in prior cases we’ve had down there and when he went into the store, he was noticed, Heffernan said. `He had dumped the purses in the garbage of the men’s restroom and passed the money onto someone else.`
Heffernan said additional charges have not been leveled at this time against Cain and that he was charged will felony grand larceny because of the credit cards he stole.
Cain was located in front of the store and taken into custody without incident, according to police.
The same day Bethlehem police said they arrested Quick for an incident that occurred on Nov. 13, where he entered the St. Peter’s Medical Arts Building on New Scotland Road in Slingerlands and allegedly stole a purse from the `employee only` area.
`What he did was he wondered through the place on Nov. 13 and took a purse that was unattended in the employees only area,` Heffernan said. `We actually knew he had an appointment the day that he was arrested and went down there and waited for him.`
Cain was arraigned before Bethlehem Justice Ryan Donovan in town court and sent to the Albany County Correctional Facility in lieu of a $5,000 cash bail, according to the arrest report. He is scheduled to return to Bethlehem Town Court on Dec. 16.
Quick was arraigned before Donovan and sent to the Albany County Correctional Facility without bail. He is scheduled to return to court on Dec. 16.
Heffernan said that if women are not able to keep their purse with them they should keep their purses zipped and on the lower part of their shopping cart.
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