Serial Side-Door Bandit Back in Court For Thefts
ALBANY—A 41-year-old Albany man was taken into custody by Bethlehem police at the Albany County jail upon his release on Friday, Nov. 15, due to an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in town court.
Robert Shutter was arrested without incident and transported to Delmar. This marked the second time Shutter was apprehended on a warrant for missing a court appearance, the first being in March. On that occasion, he was released by Town Judge Ryan Donovan. This time, he was arraigned by Judge Andrew Kirby and released under probation supervision.
Shutter’s arrest stems from an incident on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, involving a car chase that ended in a crash in Rensselaer County.
Two Bethlehem police detectives were investigating a string of shoplifting thefts at the Hannaford in Delaware Plaza when they observed a man exiting the store’s produce section without paying for merchandise. The suspect, later identified as Shutter, entered an occupied vehicle that was running and driven by Michael Hoban, 66, of West Sand Lake.
When a detective approached the vehicle, it fled the parking lot. Despite activating emergency lights and sirens, the vehicle accelerated to approximately 80 mph, driving erratically on Delaware Avenue, Southern Boulevard, I-787, and I-90 eastbound. The pursuit ended when the vehicle crashed in Rensselaer. Both suspects were arrested at the scene by Bethlehem and Rensselaer police.
An inventory of the vehicle revealed stolen items, including Tide pods, meat, frozen fish, eggs, Snapple iced tea, and a frozen pizza. The perishable items were returned to Hannaford, but officers also discovered jewelry inconsistent with the suspects’ accounts.
During police interviews, Shutter admitted to targeting Hannaford stores due to low staffing and easy exits. He detailed thefts at Hannaford locations, including Wolf Road (10–12 times), Central Avenue (6–10 times), Delmar (6 times), and Latham Farms (once, when he was caught).
Shutter faced charges of petit larceny and conspiracy, while Hoban faced additional charges of unlawfully fleeing a police officer and traffic violations. Both men had prior legal issues, with Shutter wanted on three warrants and a suspended license, and Hoban being an active parolee with multiple felony convictions.
Following processing, Shutter was transferred to Albany police for an active warrant, while New York State Parole was contacted regarding Hoban’s parole status.
