Troopers arrested two men after a burglary investigation at a building in the town of Ovid uncovered damage, stolen property, and controlled substances.
Allen L. Little, 58, of Freeville, and Billyray Ward, 39, of Gorton, were taken into custody following the investigation at a property on County Road 132, New York State Police said.
Police responded around 8:58 a.m. on Dec. 20 after Seneca County 911 received a report of a suspicious man walking around the building. Troopers arrived with deputies from the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office and other assisting agencies.
Troopers said they found signs of forced entry, including broken windows and damaged doors. During a search of the building, officers located two men hiding in the basement and arrested them without incident.
Investigators determined that copper wiring and other building components had been damaged and removed from their original locations. Police said they recovered numerous tools, stolen property, and controlled substances from inside the building.
Both men were charged with burglary in the third degree, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, petit larceny, and possession of burglar’s tools. Little also faces two additional counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree.
State police processed both men and transported them to the Seneca County Jail for CAP arraignment. The investigation remains ongoing.
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