27 area larcenies and third warrant arrest in Colonie
COLONIE – Robert Shutter is well known by local law enforcement and travels around the area each time he is caught to answer outstanding warrants for not showing up for court.
Shutter, 40, who is homeless, has been arrested by Colonie and Bethlehem police for 27 larcenies at Hannaford and Price Chopper in 10 months. The latest arrest in Colonie came on Monday, Sept. 11 when he was brought over from the Albany County jail to be arraigned on a warrant for not showing up in court in June.
In January, Shutter was arrested in Colonie for allegedly stealing groceries from Price Chopper in Loudonville on December 26. At that time he was also wanted by Guilderland police.
In March he was arrested twice, once each in Bethlehem and Colonie.
On February 28 at 8 p.m., two Bethlehem police detectives were at the Hannaford on Delaware Avenue in Delmar conducting an investigation into numerous shoplifting thefts that had occurred at that location when they observed a male exit through the produce area of the store without paying for merchandise.
The male, later identified as Shutter, entered an occupied vehicle that was already running and being driven by another man, Michael Hoban, 66, of West Sand Lake.
According to reports, when one of the detectives approached the vehicle, it drove away and exited the parking lot. The detective activated the patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and siren in an attempt to stop the vehicle but it accelerated to approximately 80 mph down Delaware Avenue, passing cars in the wrong lane, then onto Southern Boulevard, I-787 and I-90 eastbound. The vehicle continued to flee until it crashed in the City of Rensselaer where the suspects were arrested by members of the Bethlehem and Rensselaer Police Departments.
Shutter and Hoban were checked by EMS personnel on the scene, but both refused treatment. An inventory of the car found the stolen items: two containers of Tide pods, several pieces of beef and chicken, two bags of frozen fish, eggs, Snapple iced tea and a frozen pizza. All perishable items were returned to Hannaford. Police also located a quantity of jewelry that were not consistent with the men.
Upon investigation and police interviews with the two men, police found that Shutter intentionally targeted Hannaford stores due to a small number of staff working at that time and they had an easy exit through the produce door.
In the police report, Shutter said since the fall, he repeated the same procedure at other Hannaford locations including, Wolf Road in Colonie 10-12 times, Central Avenue in Colonie 6-10 times, Delmar 6 times and Latham Farms in Latham only once because he got caught.
Shutter was wanted on three outstanding warrants and a suspended license while Hoban was an active parolee with several felony convictions and did not have a valid license.
The officers charged Shutter with petit larceny and conspiracy, both misdemeanors and Hoban with petit larceny, conspiracy, and unlawfully fleeing a police officer, all misdemeanors, and numerous vehicle and traffic law violations.
During the investigation police learned that the men targeted Hannaford supermarkets specifically and have committed several larcenies at the Delmar location.
Following arrest processing, Shutter was turned over to the City of Albany Police Department due to an active warrant.
It is unclear what happened to Shutter after the Albany warrant but Colonie police responded to a check a subject call on Monday, March 20 at a residence on Tattersall Lane in the Village and found three people were wanted, including Shutter. He was arrested on the warrant and petit larceny from an incident at LL Bean on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Stephen Gullotti, 38, who is homeless, had an outstanding warrant from out of town.
Michaela Smith, 27, of Colonie had an outstanding bench warrant from the Town of Colonie for not appearing for court in November.
They were arraigned by Colonie Town Judge David Green.
In the most recent Colonie Arrest, Shutter was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge Norman Massry.
Grand larceny
COLONIE -On June 8 at about 8:07 a.m., State Police Investigators received a complaint from a Colonie business reporting an employee stealing from the company. The investigation determined Jenny R. Hunter, 40, of Rensselaer, was employed by the business as a cleaner.
Hunter reportedly collected payments from clients intended for the company but kept the funds for herself on multiple occasions. The funds taken without permission totaled more than $1,000. Hunter surrendered herself at the Latham barracks on Monday, Sept. 18, where she was arrested and processed. She was issued tickets returnable to the Colonie Town Court on October 4, and released.
Outside warrant
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to a repair shop on Central Avenue on Friday, Sept. 8 for a trouble with a customer call and found the subject of the call wanted.
After a check of Lou Baurauti, 30, who is homeless, officers found he had an outstanding warrant from the University of Albany police department. Officers from that department responded to the scene and took Baurauti into custody.
Criminal mischief
COLONIE – On Friday, Sept. 8, Colonie police responded to a call on Anthony Drive for a report of a fight at 6:41 p.m. and took both parties involved into custody.
One party, Brandi Taylor, 38, of Colonie, was charged with felony criminal mischief.
She was released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on September 20.
DWI
LATHAM – A 70-year-old Latham man crashed his car near the intersection of Green Island and Scully Avenues on Friday, Sept. 8 at approximately 9:41 p.m.
When interviewing the man, officers observed signs of intoxication including impaired motor coordination, an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath and slurred speech.
He tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device and was taken into custody.
The man was charged with DWI and given an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on September 18.
Warrant and violates order of protection
LATHAM – Colonie police responded to the Towneplace Suites on Forts Ferry Road on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 2:29 a.m. and found that Joshua Temple, 31, of Cohoes, had violated a full-stay order for a victim at that location. He also had an outstanding warrant from the Colonie Town Court.
He was taken into custody, processed on the charges and sent to the Albany County jail as a pre-arraignment detainee.
This story appeared on page 16 of the September 27. 2023 print edition of the Colonie Spotlight
