ALBANY COUNTY — A series of home invasions is sweeping Voorheesville, Bethlehem, and Guilderland, according to the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.

Chief Deputy Michael Monteleone told The Enterprise that two break-ins, and one attempted break-in, in Voorheesville were reported to his office. Voorheesville Village Hall heard from residents of an additional break-in attempt, according to Deputy Clerk-Treasurer Karen Finnessey.

“Since Dec. 17, there have been two burglaries and one attempted burglary of residential homes in the village of Voorheesville,” Monteleone wrote to The Enterprise. “Sheriff’s investigators are working along with detectives from the Bethlehem Police Department who are also investigating similar residential burglaries within their jurisdiction.  The burglaries are occurring in the evening hours, where the suspects are entering the residences and stealing items such as jewelry and silver coins from bedrooms.”  

One home invasion occurred on Locust Drive, and another on Voorheesville Avenue, according to Finnessey.

A third break-in attempt occurred on Pleasant Street, and a fourth happened on Voorheesville Avenue, Finnessey said. Residents who were home may have scared off the intruders in one of the attempts, she said.

Only three incidents were reported to the sheriff’s office, Monteleone said.

Cheryl Solomos, of Birch Street, contacted The Enterprise out of concern for her neighbors, whose houses were damaged in the break-ins, she said.

“People are letting their neighbors know to be careful,” Solomos said. “We had our home security system re-installed.”

Residents lost money and jewelry, Solomos said.

“Some of it was brought to a kiosk at Crossgates and melted before it should have been,” she said. “There was police response to all the incidents. I hope, soon, they’ll have an arrest, but who knows?”

Solomos said that her neighbors’ doors were locked, so intruders broke in through a nailed door.

“We believe the burglaries we have have similar fact patterns,” Monteleone told The Enterprise. The burglars have taken jewelry, cash, and coins that are “a quick, easy thing to grab before exiting,” he said.

The details of the break-ins are “of similar character to those in Bethlehem and Guilderland,” Monteleone said. “We don’t generally have so many burglaries in an area in a month. Burglaries are not common in this area. This pattern is a new set of circumstances.”

Monteleone would not speculate on the current events, but said that other burglaries have occurred during the evening, after suspects first knocked to see if homes were occupied.

“If someone is home, they have a ruse, they offer services, ask for directions, or say they’re at the wrong house,” Monteleone said.

Monteleone wrote, “If a resident believes that they have been a victim of a burglary, they are always asked to contact the sheriff’s office immediately and attempt to not touch anything in order to preserve any possible evidence investigators search for.”

“We would always encourage people to lock their doors when they’re not home,” he told The Enterprise. “Cars outside should be locked overnight.

“Be vigilant,” he continued. “If they see something that raises their suspicions, please let us know.”
Thefts during a 2008 robbery spree in Voorheesville were confined to the Salem Hills development where two of the home intrusions may have taken place this month. At that time, Ronald Bates, Senior Inspector of the Criminal Investigations Unit in the sheriff’s office, urged village residents to record serial numbers for smaller pieces of property so investigators could locate the items. Bates also suggested that residents photograph jewelry or things with sentimental value.