Liberty, N.Y. – A 53-year-old New York City man is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges following an alleged armed burglary and assault in the Village of Liberty earlier this month.
Police say officers were called to a residence in the village around 5:18 p.m. on January 22 after receiving a report of a disturbance involving a weapon. When officers arrived, the suspect had already fled the scene.
According to police, the victim told officers that a man armed with two knives forced his way into her apartment and assaulted her. The victim was treated at the scene by emergency medical personnel.
After securing the area and conducting an investigation, officers identified the suspect as Michael Anthony, 53, of New York City. Police say he was located the following day, January 23, in Monticello while allegedly attempting to flee back to the city. He was taken into custody without incident.
Anthony was charged with two counts of first-degree burglary, both Class B felonies, as well as criminal possession of a weapon, a Class D felony. He is also charged with third-degree assault and second-degree menacing, both misdemeanors.
He was arraigned in Town of Liberty Court before Judge Johnstone and remanded to the Sullivan County Jail. Police say he is scheduled to return to court at a later date.
In a statement, Village of Liberty Police Chief Steven D’Agata praised the response by law enforcement.
“Violent acts like this have no place in our society and won’t be tolerated in the Village of Liberty,” D’Agata said. “I want to commend the officers and detectives that worked quickly and effectively to apprehend this violent suspect within 24 hours despite his attempts to flee the area.”
Image Credit: Village of Liberty Police