Southeast Business Hit Twice By Teams Of CT Thieves: Sheriff

SOUTHEAST, NY — Seven Connecticut residents were accused of stealing property in two separate incidents from the same Southeast business.

Putnam County Sheriff Kevin J. McConville said, shortly after 4 p.m. Aug. 8, deputies said they saw people entering and leaving a store and taking items to a vehicle in the parking lot.

The people were said to be dressed in bubble jackets that were out of place for the weather and appeared to have hidden items under their jackets, according to authorities.

The people were taken into custody without incident.

Law enforcement said the people had stolen about $3,000 worth of various tools from the Southeast store.

Arrested and charged were Torrance Pettway, 45, and James Brown, 43. They were charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony, and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fifth-degree conspiracy and petit larceny, misdemeanors.

Also arrested were Michael Young, 44, Sheila Marie Ayala, 37, and Johannson Randolph, 55. They were charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony, and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and fifth-degree conspiracy, misdemeanors.

All five people are from Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Ayala and Young were processed and released to return to the Town of Southeast Court. Because of prior criminal history, Pettway, Brown and Randolph were held for arraignment, the sheriff’s office said.

Around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, deputies were called to the same Southeast business for a theft that had just occurred.

An alert was issued to local police agencies for the vehicle that had fled the scene.

While deputies were interviewing store managers, a New York state trooper stopped a vehicle that matched the suspect vehicle on Interstate 84 eastbound near Starr Ridge Road.

Authorities said it was found that the people in the vehicle were the ones responsible for the theft and assault of an employee of the store as they tried to flee.

Located inside the vehicle were stolen tools worth about $3,600.

Arrested and charged were:

• Antwaun Roach-Baptiste, 34, of West Haven, Connecticut: third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony, and fifth-degree conspiracy, seventh-degree criminal possession of controlled substance and third-degree assault, misdemeanors.
• Tyler Paolini, 29, of Trumbull, Connecticut: third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony, and fifth-degree conspiracy and seventh-degree criminal possession of controlled substance, misdemeanors.
• Mark Warcholic, 35, of Stratford, Connecticut: third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony, and fifth-degree conspiracy, a misdemeanor.

All three were arraigned in the Town of Southeast Court. Roach-Baptiste was sent to the Putnam County Correctional Facility with bail to await a bail hearing. Paolini and Warcholic were also sent back to Corrections for an ankle monitor and to report to Probation.