Man Accused of Holding Elderly War Veteran Hostage at New York Motel, Stealing Social Security Checks
Law enforcement in NY recently arrested a man accused of holding an elderly war veteran hostage for four years and stealing the victim’s Social Security checks.
According to authorities, the suspect forced the 81-year-old victim to remain in a filthy motel room at the Academy Motel in Highlands, New York. While keeping the victim hidden away inside the tiny room, the suspect allegedly stole the victim’s monthly Social Security checks and pension checks for more than four years. It is also believed by authorities that the suspect stole large amounts of money from the victim’s bank account.
A neighbor who grew concerned about the welfare of the victim dialed 911 and alerted local law enforcement. The neighbor also provided police with a cell phone video that reportedly showed the suspect verbally abusing the senior citizen victim. According to the neighbor, the suspect would occasionally use a stick to hit the victim and force him back into the motel room.
After receiving a report about the alleged abuse, police conducted a detailed investigation and eventually obtained enough evidence to get a search warrant for the motel room. When New York police went to the victim’s residence, they saw that the motel room was covered with dried blood and had mildew on the bed’s mattress.
The victim, who served honorably in the Korean War, reportedly had no friends or relatives to check in on him. He suffers from advanced dementia and was unable to do anything to extricate himself from the nightmarish situation. The suspect was reportedly able to prevent the victim from leaving because the suspect in an adjoining room.
The suspect, a 43-year-old male, has been charged with numerous crimes, including grand larceny, unlawful imprisonment, endangering an incompetent person, and menacing. Additionally, the suspect faces charges for criminal possession of a weapon and unlawful possession of a weapon because he allegedly had an unregistered handgun and a small quantity of pot on his person when police arrested him.
After being placed under arrest and processed by police, the suspect was remanded to a county jail. He was being held at the jail on a $15K cash bail amount.
For more information about this case, see the Yahoo.com article, “Man Held 81-Year-Old Veteran Hostage for 4 Years, Stole His Pension Checks: Cops.”
If you have been arrested and charged with larceny, false imprisonment, drug possession, or any other criminal offense in New York, you need a qualified criminal defense lawyer on your side. The experienced criminal defense attorneys at the LaDuca Law Firm can help you fight your criminal charges and stay out of jail. Contact us anytime to schedule a free consultation at our office in Rochester, New York.
