Woman charged in latest round of larcenies in Bethlehem, Colonie last week.
DELMAR – Albany County Sheriff’s deputies brought a serial larcenist who has a history of other crimes to Bethlehem on Wednesday, Aug. 16 for three outstanding warrants for allegedly stealing from Lowes on Route 9W in Glenmont.
Casey Francis, 40, of Troy, was arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Andrew Kirby and released on her own recognizance this time and sent back to the Albany County jail.
According to reports, Francis was identified in July by Lowes loss-prevention employees as someone known to steal from other Lowes stores in the area. She was implicated in thefts at the Glenmont store on July 21, 25, and 26,and charged with three counts of petit larceny.
But this is not the first time this year Francis was in custody. She was arrested in Colonie for allegedly stealing from Macy’s in Colonie Center and also had an outstanding warrant at that time for not showing up for Colonie Town Court on charges from October.
Francis was arrested by Bethlehem police on felony and misdemeanor charges in October for allegedly trying to cash a fake check at Price Chopper.
Francis was arrested again on Thursday, Aug. 10 in Colonie on two active warrants, one for not showing up for court again and a slew of new charges including bail jumping.
She was charged with two counts of burglary, both felonies, and five counts of petit larceny and bail jumping, all misdemeanors. She was arraigned by Colonie Judge David Green at that time.
According to reports, some of the new charges were related to thefts at Price Chopper and Hannaford.
It is unclear why she was released from Colonie when Francis had outstanding felony and bail jumping charges. Judges can set bail in this situation.
She is due back in court again on September 19 in Bethlehem.
Grand larceny and falsifying business records
COLONIE – A Schenectady woman turned herself in to Colonie police on Monday, July 31 in connection with an August 2022 incident at Demarco’s restaurant on Central Avenue.
Jennifer Heffernan, 42, was charged with grand larceny and falsifying business records, both felonies. She was processed and arraigned.
Multiple burglary and larceny charges and warrant
COLONIE – On Monday, July 31 an Albany man was transported from the Albany County jail after he was detained on a warrant from Colonie in connection with a April 12, 2022 incident at Price Chopper in Latham.
Daniel Hammon, 36, was charged with two counts of burglary, both felonies, and three counts of petit larceny, all misdemeanors, and processed on the warrant for not showing up for court. He was arraigned.
Hammon was previously arrested by Colonie police with another man for grand larceny in October for allegedly stealing from multiple Lowes stores.
Warrant
COLONIE – Joseph Hall, 37, of Schenectady, was transported from the Schenectady County jail on Monday, July 31 to face an outstanding warrant.
The warrant was for not showing up for court in August 2022. He was arraigned.
Two warrants
COLONIE – A homeless man was transported from the Albany County jail on Monday, July 31 to face two warrants in Colonie Town Court.
Saki Gibson, 29, was charged with petit larceny and processed on the warrant for failing to appear in court in May. He was arraigned.
Felony warrant
LATHAM – Colonie police took a Troy woman into custody at the Laquinta Inn on Monday, July 31 at approximately 3:57 p.m. for an outstanding warrant from State Police.
Erica Fredette, 32, was transported to State Police to be processed on the felony warrant.
Felony DWI and no license
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to the area of Central Avenue and Wolf Road for a report of a vehicle annoying other drivers on Wednesday, Aug. 2 at approximately 4:43 a.m. and found the driver to be impaired.
According to reports, the driver, Albert Bruton, 29, of Albany, was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
He was arrested at the scene, had prior DWI convictions and did not have a license.
Bruton was charged with felony DWI and felony aggravated unlicensed operation, and aggravated unlicensed operation – alcohol, a misdemeanor, and ticketed for two counts of drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle and parking in a specific area.
He was transported to the police station and released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on August 9.
Warrant
COLONIE – A Watervliet man was transported to Colonie police on Saturday, Aug. 5 at 11:43 p.m. by Guilderland on an outstanding warrant for not showing up for court in May.
Brian McCoy, 57, was processed and given an appearance ticket for August 16 by Judge David Green and then turned over to East Greenbush police for an additional outstanding warrant.
DWI on Central Avenue
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to a property damage car crash on Central Avenue on Saturday, Aug. 5 and found the driver, a 65-year-old Albany man, impaired by alcohol.
According to reports, officers observed the driver to have glassy eyes and poor motor coordination. He was given and failed, or unable to complete field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
He was charged with DWI and ticketed for failing to yield.
The man was released on an appearance ticket and is scheduled to return to Colonie Town Court on August 14.
Aggravated DWI on Central
COLONIE – A 38-year-old Albany man was charged after he was in an accident on Central Avenue on Sunday, Aug. 6 at 2:41 a.m. and left the scene of the accident.
According to reports, officers observed the man to have glassy and bloodshot eyes, poor motor skills and slurred speech.He was given, and failed, field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
He was charged with aggravated DWI and ticketed for leaving the scene, failure to keep right, and failure to stay in a single lane.
The man was released on an appearance ticket and is scheduled to return to Colonie Town Court on August 21.
Aggravated family offense
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to the Econo Lodge hotel on Central Avenue on Sunday, Aug. 6 at 10:20 a.m. and found Winter Bellevue, 23, who is homeless, was in the same room as a person he was ordered to stay away from. It was not the first time.
Bellevue was charged with aggravated family offense, a felony, and disobeying a court mandate, a misdemeanor.
He was released on an appearance ticket and is scheduled to return to Colonie Town Court on August 30.
Warrant
COLONIE – A Schenectady man was brought from the Schenectady County jail on Monday, Aug. 7 on an outstanding warrant because he did not show up for court in April.
Willam Clark, 33, was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge David Green.
Burglary and larceny charges
COLONIE – On Monday, Aug. 7, Eugene Wachtel, 56, of Schenectady, was brought over from the Schenectady County jail for an open warrant for an incident at the Colonie Plaza on Central Avenue on June 9.
He was charged with burglary, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor. He was arraigned by Colonie Judge David Green and held.
Skateboarder charged
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to a call for the report of a fight at the Price Chopper on Central Avenue on Monday, Aug. 7 at 6:21 p.m. and arrested a 19-year-old Albany man.
According to reports, Dylan Corbett damaged a car by hitting it with a skateboard multiple times and left the scene. He returned a short time later and police attempted to take him into custody. He allegedly fought with police and an officer was injured in the process.
He was charged with assault, with intent to harm a police officer,and criminal mischief, both felonies, and resisting arrest, a misdemeanor.
He was arraigned by Colonie Judge David Green.
Criminal mischief and other charges
COLONIE – A Loudonville man turned himself in and was charged on Monday, Aug. 7 for an incident that took place in July.
Conner South, 19, was charged with criminal mischief, a felony, and reckless endangerment, aggravated unlicensed operation, and reckless driving, all misdemeanors, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident.
He was arraigned by Colonie Judge David Green.
Warrant then released
COLONIE – East Greenbush police detained and transported Brittney Wood, 35, of Athens, on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 12:44 a.m. to Colonie for an outstanding warrant for not showing up for court in January.
Wood was arrested in November of possession of a forged instrument and grand larceny, both felonies, and petit larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance, both misdemeanors.
She was released with an appearance ticket.
Fake name,resisting arrests, outstanding warrant, released
LATHAM – A 38-year-old Watervliet woman,a passenger in a car, was stopped by Colonie police on Wednesday, Aug. 9 and was found to be wanted in the town.
According to reports, Julia Bejarano, 38, attempted to walk away from the scene and refused to comply and fight with officers.
She was charged with resisting arrest and false impersonation, both misdemeanors and processed on the warrant.
She was issued an appearance ticket and released.
Grand larceny
COLONIE – Kwaku Ofosu, 23, of Latham, turned himself in on Wednesday, Aug. 9 and charged with grand larceny, a felony. The charges stemmed from a domestic incident on August 3. He was arraigned.
Drug and child endangerment charges
COLONIE – A Clifton Park woman was arrested by Colonie police on Thursday, Aug. 10 at 12:08 a.m. at the Barnes and Noble on Wolf Road for an incident the prior day at the Travel Lodge down the street.
Julissa Pitt, 29, was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and criminal possession of a narcotic drug, both felonies, and acting in a manner to injure a child, a misdemeanor. She was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge David Green.
Man arrested with gun after chase in Glenmont
GLENMONT – Bethlehem police arrested a 19-year-old Albany man who ran after a motor-vehicle pursuit. He was in possession of a loaded handgun.
On Monday August 7, at approximately 5:50 p.m. ,officers attempted to stop a motor vehicle traveling eastbound on Corning Hill Road. The vehicle failed to stop for police and a pursuit continued into the city of Albany, ending on South Pearl Street. Two of the occupants ran from the vehicle while it was stopped in traffic in the area of 700 South Pearl Street.
One of the occupants was apprehended by Bethlehem police officers a short distance from the vehicle.
The suspect, Da-Ivion N. Hale, was found to be in possession of a loaded 9 mm handgun.
He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, both felonies, and unlawful possession of an ammo feed, a misdemeanor.
He was arraigned in Bethlehem Town Court and remanded to Albany County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond.
This incident is still under investigation.
Missing woman found dead in Thompson Lake identified
KNOX – On Tuesday, August 8, at approximately 4:59 p.m., Albany County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the area, 106 Nature Center Way in the Town of Knox, to check an unoccupied vehicle that had been parked in the area since Sunday evening.
After checking the area, deputies located 71-year-old Gail E Charlson of Delmar who was unresponsive in Thompson Lake close to the shore line.
The cause of death was drowning, according to police.
Man steals rental car from Airport
COLONIE – Police arrested of a Rochester man that stole a rental vehicle from Enterprise Rent-A-Car located at the Albany International Airport on Thursday, Aug. 10.
Albany County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the rental car garage for a report of a rental vehicle in the process of being stolen. Upon arrival, deputies spoke with representatives of Enterprise Rent-A-Car that stated that a Blue 2022 GMC Terrain was just stolen from their rental inventory.
After further investigation, deputies were able to track the vehicle with the help of OnStar. While talking to OnStar, deputies’ relayed “live information” to the State Police working on the Thruway, the vehicle was located and with the aid of OnStar the vehicle was able to be stopped safely. The driver, Antoine G. Witcher, 28, was taken into custody without incident.
Witcher was arrested and charged with grand larceny, a felony.
He was brought to the Albany County jail as a pre-arraigned detainee. Witcher was arraigned in Colonie Town Court on Friday, August 11.