DELMAR – A Schenectady man who was arrested on December 19 for stealing and then crashing a vehicle into a police unit in Colonie and arrested by the State Police on December 28 for smashing car windows and stealing credit cards has been connected to six incidents in Bethlehem.
Bethlehem detectives arrested Sylvester Flora, 26, after he was transported from the Albany County jail to the police station on Tuesday, Feb. 7. For weeks police could not charge Flora because he refused to leave his jail cell. Under a provision of the State bail reforms, an inmate does not have to leave his cell unless there is a court order. This delayed charging him by about a month.
The six incidents in Bethlehem took place on three dates in November and December.
According to reports, Flora allegedly smashed the passenger window of a vehicle at 279 Delaware Avenue on November 8.
The victim placed her purse on the seat when reporting to work around 7:40 a.m.
Her credit card was charged $685.96 at 12:40 p.m. in a store at Crossgates mall. The card was charged a total of $2,300 before it was canceled. Flora was identified as the person using the card through an investigation. He was charged with criminal mischief, two counts of grand larceny, identity theft, conspiracy and criminal mischief, all felonies.
The next incidents took place on December 13 in Glenmont where Flora allegedly smashed car windows in the parking lots of Romo’s Pizza and Old Brick Furniture and stole credit cards. The thefts took place between 3-7 p.m. In the two incidents Flora was charged with grand larceny, criminal mischief, identity theft, all felonies and misdemeanor criminal mischief.
On December 13, Flora was back in Glenmont. According to reports, he allegedly smashed the window of a car on Moriah Road at 4 p.m. The victim’s purse with credit cards, personal identification and items was gone.
At 6:29 p.m. a worker at Romo’s Pizza was notified her car window was smashed and purse stolen from the floor of the vehicle. Although it was out of sight under a bag, it was found by the thief. The purse contained $450 in cash, credit cards, blank checks, social security card and routing numbers from her bank accounts.
At 7:22 p.m. behind Albany Med Emurgent Care, a woman heard breaking glass and observed a black sedan speeding away from her car which had its window smashed out. The woman’s wallet was gone from the car and in it was $470 in cash, credit card, driver’s license and social security card.
Flora was charged with multiple counts of criminal mischief and grand larceny, both felonies, in addition to petit larceny and misdemeanor criminal mischief.
Flora was arraigned and sent back to the Albany County jail. He is scheduled to return to Bethlehem Town Court on Tuesday, March 7.
He also has charges from State Police and Colonie police for stealing a car with the keys in it from a Central Avenue shopping center and stealing credit cards. More charges may be pending in more incidents.
Cobleskill man
in stolen car asleep in road
NEW SCOTLAND – On Saturday, Feb. 11, Albany County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 43 year-old Christopher Sumner after they responded to a report of a male who was asleep at the wheel of a vehicle that was running and in the roadway in New Scotland.
Deputies found Sumner asleep at the wheel of the vehicle while it was running and in drive with his foot on the brake.
An investigation revealed Sumner was intoxicated and that the vehicle was reported stolen out of the Town of Cobleskill. Sumner was charged with possession of stolen property in the third degree and aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, both felonies, and DWI, a misdemeanor, along with other vehicle and traffic violations.
Sumner was arraigned and released on his own recognizance by the Town of New Scotland
Court and is set to reappear on March 2.
‘vliet, Latham men arrested for check fraud
DELMAR – Two men from Watervliet and Latham arrested on outstanding warrants for September incidents involving fraudulent checks at a local bank.
On September 7 and 8, two men deposited checks written against the funds of a New Jersey woman. The funds were eventually drawn out of the local account by using an ATM card at various locations in the Capital District.
On January 7, Colonie police arrested Henassy Mcconico, 25, of Latham and transported him to Bethlehem on the warrant.
On February 7, Albany County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Justin Walker, 27, of Watervliet.
They were both arraigned in Bethlehem Town Court and sent to the Albany County jail.
Man arrested for stealing from cars in Delmar
DELMAR – Bethlehem police arrested an Albany man on Tuesday, Feb. 7 for breaking into vehicles on Douglas Road and Penny Lane and stealing personal property, credit cards and cash.
Abdallah Aboueida, 24, was taken into custody after he allegedly used the cards and cash to buy auto parts at a Colonie auto parts store.
Detectives were able to recover most of the stolen property.
He was charged with two counts of grand larceny, a felony, and two counts of petit larceny, a misdemeanor.
Aboueida was arraigned by Bethlehem Judge Ryan Donovan and released under the supervision of probation with a return date of March 7.
Felony DWI in Voorheeseville
VOORHEESVILLE – A local woman was arrested at the Hannaford supermarket. She had a BAC almost four times the legal limit.
Albany County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the store on Maple Avenue on Monday, January 6 at 6:02 p.m. for the report of a woman driving a black BMW driving all over the road, pulling into the plaza and entering the supermarket. Witnesses said she was slurring her words while walking through the store.
When Deputies arrived, they observed Alysan Bowers to have bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from her breath. According to reports, Bower told police she had two IPA beers earlier in the day, but it was “not enough that it would be a problem.”
She was given and failed field-sobriety tests, refused a preliminary test for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device and was taken into custody.
At the police station she did provide a breath sample that returned a .31 percent BAC. Due to a prior DWI conviction within 10 years, she was charged with felony aggravated DWI.
She was arraigned by New Scotland Town Justice Wukitsch and is due back in court on March 2.
