Monticello, NY: UPDATE IN EXTENDED ARTICLEYWN has learned that thanks to the outstanding detective work by the Sullivan County Sheriff Department, the people wanted in connection with the recent rash of car-break-ins have been arrested. As YWN had reported two weeks ago (HERE), more than one hundred vehicles in the Monticello area had been broken into, with the main target being GPS systems. Some of the bungalow colonies which had cars broken into were Freeds, Syms, Ichud, Alpine Estates, Beverly Hills The Sheriff Department had placed extra patrols, and assigned additional detectives to the case. Sources tell YWN, that four suspects (two males and two females) were arrested by the Sheriff Patrol on Motzei Shabbos at the former Gibbers Hotel – now the home of the year-round Viznits Community. Special Assistant to the Superintendent of the NYSP Rabbi Bernard Freilich spoke with YWN, and said that the Sheriff Department must be publicly credited for their hard work in this case. “Sheriff Mike Schiff and UnderSheriff Eric Chaboty personally spent countless hours meeting with concerned residents, and worked tirelessly to apprehend the suspects”, Freilich said. UPDATE 2:00PM EST: On Sunday August 31, 2008, at approximately 2:26 AM, Deputies from the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call of two suspicious males, possibly breaking into vehicles at 14 Gafen Lane in Kiamesha Lake. The Sheriff’s Office, which had investigated a rash of thefts from vehicles in the Monticello area over the past 3 weeks, immediately flooded the area with patrols. A short time later at the scene, deputies noticed where grass had been trampled in a path leading to the woods and heard twigs snapping. Deputies pursued the perpetrators and eventually caught them near the basketball courts of the former Gibbers Hotel. One male subject was wearing a complete camouflage outfit and the other was dressed in dark clothes. Both were wearing plastic gloves when they were arrested. Two female accomplices, also wearing dark clothing, were discovered sitting in a car, just out of sight, at a nearby gravel bank. They were taken into custody and transported to the Sheriff’s Office for questioning. Later in the morning, Sheriff’s Detectives searched a residence located at 42 Champlin Avenue in the Village of Liberty where they recovered property including several Global Positioning Systems (GPS), cell phones and other electronics. Charged with larceny are: Raymond Castro, age 20 Monticello NY Pedro Agosto, age 18 Monticello NY Theresa Sarosy, age 19 White Lake NY Claribel Mojica, age 24 Liberty NY All four suspects where being held for arraignment at the time of this press release. The Sheriff’s Office expects additional charges to be filed as the investigation continues. If anyone has any information regarding these thefts, please call the Sheriff’s Confidential Tips Hotline at 845-807-0158. (Yehuda Drudgestein – YWN Sullivan County News Desk)

YWN has learned that dozens of cars have been broken into in the past week in the Monticello area. The most recent rash of break-ins was early Friday morning (Thursday night), and the thieves hit the Monticello area (Freeds Bungalows, Syms etc) on Fraser Road near Old Liberty Road. A few days ago, cars parked at Alpine Estates on Route 42 were robbed, as well as Beverly Hills & Ichud (Ideal Bungalows) were broken into as well. In most cases, just GPS systems were stolen (more than 50!), but other items have been taken also. The Sullivan County Sheriff Department, under the dedicated leadership of Sheriff Mike Schiff, and Undersheriff Eric Chaboty has assured YWN that everything is being done to apprehend the suspects. “Extra patrols are being placed on the roads, and we will be focusing on camps, colonies, and developments in the area”, Mike Schiff told YWN. Undersheriff Chaboty told YWN that people should be vigilant, lock their car doors, and not leave anything valuable in plain sight. “Detectives are working on this case as we speak, and we will do everything in our power to make arrests as soon as we can”, Chaboty said. (Yehuda Drudgestein – YWN Sullivan County News Desk)