Late Night Tipster Helps Police Make 2 Drug, Burglary Arrests: Police

CITY OF NEWBURGH, NY — A late night tip helped foil a potential crime in progress, according to police.

On Wednesday, around 12:09 a.m., the City of Newburgh Police Department communications center received a call from a concerned community member about a burglary in progress with a suspicious man seen by the window of a building in the area of Third Street and Johnston Street.

Once officers arrived on the scene, the community member gave them additional information that directed the officers towards a suspect's location. An officer located and attempted to stop the suspect, who then fled. After a brief foot pursuit by two officers, an officer was able to safely apprehend the suspect, identified as 42-year-old Christian Pagan-Rosario, a City of Newburgh resident.

The community member was further able to help police by identifying a second suspect still in the area. An officer approached the second suspect, later identified as 51-year-old Ryan Leak, of Hawthorne, New Jersey. When Leak saw the officers, he also fled on foot, leading two officers in a second foot pursuit, police said. Leak initially evaded officers, but due to a strong police perimeter, he was located hiding on the second floor of a deck, according to authorities.

Pagan-Rosario was found to be in possession of 31 grams of crack cocaine, 21 grams of heroin/fentanyl, 1.4 grams of cocaine, and 1.1 grams of heroin. Officers located additional narcotics in his possession during transport. Pagan-Rosario was charged with felony third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Leak was found to be in possession of burglar's tools and was charged with misdemeanor possession of burglar's tools, and was found to be on parole for second-degree burglary.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Lieutenant C. Lahar at 845-569-7532.