Monticello police arrested Thomas Gallishaw (18) of Brooklyn on Tuesday 8/6/13. Gallishaw was charged with felonies for robbery in the 2nd degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the 3rd degree. He was also charged with misdemeanors for resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, menacing in the 2nd degree, petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property in the 5th degree.

At 3:50PM Tuesday Monticello police officer Harry Mota and detective Luis Velasco observed Gallishaw walking on North Street in the village of Monticello. Gallishaw matched the description of a male responsible for an armed robbery of a 23 year-old Chasidic man from Brooklyn that occurred in the advance auto parts store on Monday evening. The victim had been robbed of a bankcard at gunpoint.

As officers approached Gallishaw to conduct a field interview he took off running. A foot chase then ensued – as was reported by YWN Catskills. While running, Gallishaw dropped a realistic looking black pellet handgun on the ground which officers recovered. Also while running Gallishaw ran right out of his sneakers. Gallishaw ran through several private properties and climbed over numerous fences. Monticello police put out a radio request for assistance from other area police agencies in order to form an area perimeter to confine gallishaw. Multiple units from the New York state police, Sullivan County Sheriff Dept and towns of Fallsburg and Lumberland police responded to assist. Monticello police and state police k-9 units were also deployed in the search.

Family members of Gallishaw then arrived on scene and were asked to assist officers in locating Gallishaw. Information was then received that Gallishaw had ran to an apartment house on Bushnell Avenue. Officers entered the building and found Gallishaw hiding in a closet under a pile of clothes and he was arrested.

Gallishaw was also found to be in possession of a second realistic looking black pellet handgun when arrested.

When arrested Gallishaw was also recognized as being the same suspect that had stolen merchandise and fled from Monticello police officers on 7/4/13 from a larceny at the family dollar store on Broadway.

Gallishaw was arraigned before village of Monticello justice Josephine Finn and remanded to the Sullivan county jail on $100,000.00 bail pending further court action.

An investigation is continuing to see if Gallishaw is connected with several other robberies currently under investigation by Monticello police.

(YWN Catskills Newsroom)