Two 18-year-old New York City men are facing multiple felony charges after police say they stole a vehicle, attempted to burglarize a Liberty convenience store, and later broke into a gas station in Loch Sheldrake before one of the suspects briefly escaped police custody.
According to a joint press release from the Village of Liberty Police Department and the Town of Fallsburg Police Department, the investigation began Wednesday into a series of crimes reported during the early morning hours of May 7.
Police said two masked men stole a vehicle from a parking lot on South Main Street in Liberty around 1 a.m. Investigators said the suspects then drove the stolen vehicle to the Sunoco Country Store on Sullivan Avenue in Liberty, where they allegedly attempted to force entry through a glass door. Police said the suspects caused significant damage but were unable to get inside.
Authorities said the men then drove to the Mobile gas station in Loch Sheldrake, where they allegedly broke a glass door, entered the business and stole items including a cash register.
Following a coordinated investigation by Liberty and Fallsburg police, Sgt. Chris Orlando of the Liberty Police Department spotted a person matching one of the suspects’ descriptions on North Main Street around 1 p.m., according to the release.
Police said officers attempted to stop the individual, later identified as Jayvion Thompson, 18, of New York City, but he fled on foot. Officers pursued Thompson before taking him into custody behind North Main Street.
During the chase and struggle, Liberty Police Sgt. Everett Saul suffered what police described as a significant laceration and blunt force trauma to his right knee. Saul was treated at Garnet Catskill Medical Center and released.
Investigators later located a second suspect, identified as Sadiq Daugherty, 18, of New York City, at an apartment on South Main Street. Police said Daugherty was taken into custody without incident and that officers recovered evidence connected to the crimes, including alleged burglary proceeds, during a search of the apartment.
Police said Thompson escaped custody around 3:45 p.m. while being held in a prisoner processing room at Liberty Police headquarters. According to investigators, Thompson forced his hands through a set of handcuffs and attacked an officer as the officer opened a secure door, allowing Thompson to flee on foot.
Officers pursued Thompson but temporarily lost sight of him in the North Main Street and Chestnut Street area, police said. Multiple agencies, including the New York State Police, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, Sullivan County Division of Public Safety, Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office and New York State Forest Rangers, assisted in establishing a perimeter and searching the area.
Police said Thompson was found about an hour later hiding in a closet inside an abandoned apartment on Chestnut Street and was taken back into custody without incident.
Thompson and Daugherty were both charged by Liberty police with third-degree attempted burglary, third-degree criminal mischief and third-degree grand larceny, all felonies. Fallsburg police additionally charged both men with third-degree burglary, second-degree criminal mischief and fourth-degree grand larceny.
Thompson also faces additional charges from Liberty police, including second-degree assault and second-degree escape, both felonies, as well as misdemeanor counts of obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest.
Police said Thompson was also wanted by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision on a parole absconder warrant.
Both men were arraigned in Town of Liberty Court before Judge Shortall. Sullivan County District Attorney Brian Conaty requested both defendants be held in lieu of $1 million cash bail, $2 million secured bond or $4 million partially secured bond, citing what prosecutors described as an extreme flight risk.
Judge Shortall ordered both men held at the Sullivan County Jail under those bail conditions.
Liberty Police Chief Steven D’Agata thanked assisting agencies and acknowledged concerns surrounding Thompson’s temporary escape from custody.
“I take full personal responsibility for this lapse,” D’Agata said in the release. “While it is the defendants criminal conduct that resulted in his escape, we will be conducting a thorough review of the incident, our procedures, training and policy to identify and address deficiencies.”
Image Credit: Village of Liberty Police