3 CT Men Accused In String Of NY Burglaries

DUTCHESS COUNTY, NY — Three men from Connecticut were arrested after being accused of committing a string of burglaries in the mid-Hudson Valley in New York.

The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Town of Ulster Police Department and several other police agencies from nearby New York counties, said the three men were involved in commercial burglaries that happened over the last three weeks.

Authorities said, during the early morning hours of Sunday, Dutchess County sheriff’s deputies responded to a burglar alarm at a business in the village of Rhinebeck. At the same time, members of the town of Ulster police in Ulster Couty were responding to a different burglar alarm in their jurisdiction.

Both alarms were the result of confirmed break-ins, and as the sheriff’s deputies began their investigation, the town of Ulster police simultaneously located two possible suspects in their jurisdiction.

Those two men were taken into custody by Ulster police, but a third man fled in a car back to Dutchess County.

The third man was located and taken into custody by the New York State Police. He and the other two were eventually tured over to the sheriff’s office Detective Bureau for further investigation.

The three men, authorities said, are believed to be responsible for the burglaries in Rhinebeck and Ulster as well as several others in Dutchess, Ulster, Orange and Sullivan counties.

The men were arrested and charged as follows:

• Rickie Miranda Jr., 22, of Bristol, Connecticut: three counts of third-degree burglary, felonies. After processing, he was released to the Tuxedo Police Department in Orange County for futher investigation.
• Jacob a. Miranda, 20, of Bristol, Connecticut: three counts of third-degree burglary, felonies. He, too, was released to the Tuxedo Police Department in Orange County after processing.
• Thomas C. Durant, 19, Burlington, Connecticut: possession of burglar’s tools, fifth-degree conspiracy, fourth-degree criminal facilitation and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, all misdemeanors. He was released on appearance tickets after processing.

The sheriff’s office said the investigation is continuing, and more charges are possible at a later time.

If anyone has any information about these burglaries or other similar incidents, they are urged to contact Detective Jeffrey Cohen at 845-486-3827 or by email. Information can also be provided through the Sheriff’s Office tipline at 845-605-CLUE (2583) or dcsotips@gmail.com, and all information will be kept confidential.

The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by numerous agencies including the New York State Police, Town of Ulster Police, Town of East Fishkill Police, Montgomery Police and Tuxedo Police in Orange County and the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.