The Ithaca Police Department says several felony charges have been filed in an investigation into a string of burglaries at an apartment complex in Tompkins County.
On Monday police in Ithaca received a complaint that a number of items had been stolen from the Harolds Square Apartments on East State Street.
Police say the complex is occupied with tenants as construction on the building continues.
Initial investigation into the theft complaint yielded that more than $8,500 worth of property was stolen during two different incidents.
The stolen items consisted of appliances, construction materials, and electronic devices taken both from residential and construction areas of Harolds Square.
Among the items stolen were a clothes washers and dryers, as well as a large screen television set, and dishwasher.
It was determined that moving carts were
stolen and used to haul the proceeds of these crimes during at least two occasions of the building being burglarized between November 25th and November 30th.
On Wednesday around 6:45 a.m. police were called to a welfare check on a person who was found unconscious near City Hall on East Green Street. It was initially believed that due to proximity, and the man’s attire, that a construction worker lost consciousness due to a medical condition.
That person, identified as Daniel Yetsko, 35, refused further medical treatment. Police say a number of other carts were found nearby, and had been filled with numerous construction tools, materials, and other items that had been removed from Harolds Square, which is nearby.
Yetsko was released and the investigation continued.
That’s when investigation revealed that the Harolds Square had been burglarized again during the early morning hours of December 2nd. Police say the suspect forced entry into the apartment building using a knife. During that incident over $65,000 worth of construction materials, construction tools, and a variety of other items were stolen. During this incident a number of areas throughout the apartment building, on multiple floors, were found to have been damaged.
Police say thousands of dollars worth of damage was done to the property.
Yetsko was taken into custody on Saturday. He was charged with second-degree burglary, third-degree grand larceny – both felonies – as well as second-degree burglary, and second-degree grand larceny. Altogether, he faces four felony charges related to the two incidents.
Police say some of the property has not yet been recovered. He was held on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 secured bond.
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