All Over Albany

An alleged inside job -- by an 11-year-old

Albany police say they've arrested an 11-year-old boy for allegedly breaking into cars near Washington Park -- and running an inside job robbery on a Lark Street store. From the APD press release:

Officer Michael Geraci was following up on a burglary report last Thursday with the owner of Frame Workshop at 215 Lark Street. The owner stated that someone had entered the business through a unlocked window between Wednesday night and Thursday morning and stole $240 from the cash register. Several picture frames, which were in front of the window, were also damaged when the suspect climbed in.

The owner told Officer Geraci that a young boy, who he had befriended, had been hanging around the business over the last couple of days and was inside on several occasions. He believed that the boy had intentionally unlocked the window while he was inside the shop so he could get inside when the business was closed. The owner gave Officer Geraci the boy's name and showed him a picture of the boy on Facebook.

The full press release is pasted after the jump.

This is at least the second recent arrest that's resulted from Geraci noticing something on his Center Square beat (the other: the man who allegedly posed as a detective). Both cases point to the potential payoff of having beat cops and community policing (and admittedly, it's a tiny sample). Would those arrests have been made without it? Sure, maybe. But having an officer out in the neighborhood, talking to people, making connections couldn't have hurt.

APD: 11-year-old arrested

A Center Square beat officer from the Neighborhood Engagement Unit arrested a 11 year old boy Saturday afternoon for breaking into cars on Willet Street and then connected him to a commercial burglary on Lark Street.

Officer Michael Geraci was following up on a burglary report last Thursday with the owner of Frame Workshop at 215 Lark Street. The owner stated that someone had entered the business through a unlocked window between Wednesday night and Thursday morning and stole $240 from the cash register. Several picture frames, which were in front of the window, were also damaged when the suspect climbed in.

The owner told Officer Geraci that a young boy, who he had befriended, had been hanging around the business over the last couple of days and was inside on several occasions. He believed that the boy had intentionally unlocked the window while he was inside the shop so he could get inside when the business was closed. The owner gave Officer Geraci the boy's name and showed him a picture of the boy on Facebook.

While on his beat this past Saturday afternoon Officer Geraci witnessed a young boy checking several car doors on Willet Street. As he got closer the boy resembled the boy from the Facebook picture. Officer Geraci watched the boy finally find a car with an open door and then get inside. Officer Geraci approached the car and caught him in the back seat stealing a camera. He placed him into custody and brought him to the Children & Family Services Unit.

A detective interviewed the boy with his mother present and he admitted to breaking into two cars that day. He also admitted to committing the burglary at the Frame Workshop. A IPod and cell phone were recovered from one of the cars he broke into. The boy also had the cash register key in his pocket from the burglary.

He was charged with Burglary 3rd, Petit Larceny ( two counts), Criminal Mischief 4th, and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 5th. He was given an appearance ticket to Albany County Family Court and released in his mother's custody.