Alleged Facebook Marketplace robber arrested in Queens
Queens man stole jewelry from a man at Plug Power meet up on Dec. 27
DELMAR – The Bethlehem police arrested a 25-year-old Queens man on Tuesday, Jan. 30 for a December robbery of a man selling jewelry through Facebook Marketplace.
Detectives from the department traveled to New York City to pick up Ronaldo Alcazar and return him to Bethlehem to face charges. The US Marshals Task Force assisted in the operation.
Alcazar was charged with robbery-first degree, criminal use of a firearm, robbery-second degree, criminal possession of a weapon, grand larceny, unlawful imprisonment, and conspiracy, all felonies, and menacing, a misdemeanor.
On Wednesday, Dec. 27 at approximately 11:30 p.m., Bethlehem police received a 911 call from a woman who witnessed an armed robbery in progress in the parking lot of Plug Power at 125 Vista Boulevard.
When police arrived, the victim advised officers that two black males, one armed with a handgun, had a physical altercation with a male victim, then stole jewelry and the victim’s car keys. Both males then fled the scene.
According to police, the suspect vehicle was a dark-colored Toyota Sienna minivan (possibly purple) occupied by two black males and was last seen southbound on Vista Boulevard towards Route 85. There were people in the area who witnessed the incident, due to a shift change at the business.
Alcazar allegedly displayed a handgun and was wearing a black and white skeleton sweatshirt hoodie and a mask.
The alleged robbery was the result of a Facebook marketplace pre-arranged meeting from where the victim intended to sell the jewelry to the suspects.
The Bethlehem Police Department reminds people that there is a safe exchange location for E-commerce on the east side of the Bethlehem Town Hall at 447 Delaware Ave, Delmar, that is monitored by surveillance video and police personnel.
Alcazar was arraigned in Town of Bethlehem Court and remanded to Albany County jail in lieu of $30,000 cash bail or $60,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is set for February 2 in Town of Bethlehem Court.
Burglary in Selkirk
SELKIRK – Bethlehem police responded to a report of an inactive burglary at a Selkirk home on Tuesday, Jan. 23. The reporting person was watching a house for a residence for a person who was in a rehabilitation facility and found that things inside the house were moved, missing and a spare key removed since they were there the prior day.
Officers also heard two voicemail messages on the home phone from a woman who said she was trying to gain access and one that said she had left the property.
An investigation identified Catherine Cetnar, 45, who is homeless, as the person who was alleged to be in the residence.
Four days later, officers responded to an assist-a-person call from Cetnar who requested a ride back to the Selkirk residence. A check of her identity showed the connection to the larceny and burglary investigation and Cetnar was taken into custody.
She was charged with burglary, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor. Cetnar was arraigned and released under supervision of probation. She is scheduled back in Bethlehem Town Court on February 20.
Petit larceny, conspiracy, and warrants
SLINGERLANDS – A 19-year-old Albany woman was arrested for the second time for a July larceny incident at Price Chopper on Thursday, Jan. 25 for not showing up to Bethlehem Town Court.
Bethlehem police arrested Layannah Morales on the warrant as she was being released from the Albany County jail on unrelated charges. She was initially arrested September 9 in Colonie on an active Bethlehem warrant for petit larceny and conspiracy, both misdemeanors. Morales was transported and arraigned at Albany City Court by Judge Holly Trexler and released on her own recognizance, but she also had an outstanding warrant from Albany Family Court. She was transported to meet court officers there at that time.
In March, Morales turned herself in to Colonie Police to face two counts of grand larceny, which are felonies, for an incident that took place at Colonie Center on January 17, 2023.
This time, she was arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Andrew Kirby and released under the supervision of probation. Morales is due back in court on February 6.
Fake passport, credit card, and wanted
GLENMONT – Bethlehem police responded to the Pioneer Bank branch on Glenmont Road on Tuesday, Jan. 25 for a man trying to withdraw funds from an account with forged documents.
Upon arrival, officers found a man identified by employees as the subject of the call walking through the parking lot.
Upon interviewing the man, later identified as Richard Brown, 50, of Richmond, Indiana,, he was in possession of a fraudulent passport and credit card. According to bank employees, Brown had earlier attempted to withdraw money from accounts at the Greenville branch, but was denied there.
According to reports, Brown said that he is from Tenn. but was living in New York City and received a ride from “unknown persons” to upstate New York. He said he did not know their names.
A check of his name and date of birth revealed that Brown was a fugitive from justice in the State of Florida.
He was taken into custody and charged with identity theft, possession of a forged document and grand larceny, all felonies and forgery, a misdemeanor. He was arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Andrew Kirby and, because of the warrant, he was sent to the Albany County jail.
The next day, Orange County, Fla. provided the paperwork to extradite Brown.
Larceny, using drugs in bathroom and warrant
GLENMONT – On Thursday, Jan. 26, Bethlehem police responded to the Stewarts on Frontage Road for the reports of a man using drugs in the bathroom and leaving paraphernalia on the sink.
According to reports, upon arrival officers found Joseph Barba, 42, of Albany, who they knew from other incidents, near the gas pumps and in possession of items taken from the store. The business did not want to press charges on the theft, but did want him trespassed from the store.
Barba was also wanted by East Greenbush for an outstanding warrant and was transported to meet officers from that department.
Barba has been involved in multiple incidents of larcenies at local stores in September, January 2023 and January 2022 in Bethlehem. Each time he was wanted by other agencies on outstanding warrants and had drug paraphernalia.
This appeared in the February 7 print edition of the Spotlight.
