Two arrested in Afton burglary, arson
AFTON – Police say they have arrested two men who are responsible for burglarizing an Afton residence and then setting the home afire to cover their crime.
The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested Eric A. Nelson, 25, and Felix J. Hartman, 21, both of Afton, and charged them with second degree burglary and third degree arson, both class C felonies.
The home, valued at $240,000, “was destroyed just so the defendants could cover their tracks,” said Undersheriff Ernest R. Cutting Jr.
The Chenango County 911 system records a neighbor contacting the center to report the fire at 3:45 a.m. May 31.
According to police, Nelson and Hartman entered the home at 331 State Highway 41, in the Town of Afton, in the hours before the blaze to steal property.
“They stole basic things, appliances and food mostly. I know an air conditioner was taken and later recovered,” reported the undersheriff.
“They stole only a few hundred dollars worth of property in total,” said Sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Richard Cobb, explaining the stolen air conditioning unit accounted for much of the amount.
Investigators said the two men then set fire to the living room furniture before leaving.
The Afton, Conventry, Bainbridge and Harpursville Fire Departments responded to the blaze and discovered the residence totally engulfed in flames.
The occupants were not home the night of the fire but the residence and all remaining possessions were destroyed.
Firefighters battled to gain control of the blaze for over an hour and later that morning, investigators ruled the fire as suspicious.
Lt. James Lloyd reported the home belonged to a couple who was in the process of moving their items from the location to a newly purchased property in the Coventry area. On the night of the fire, the couple was residing at their new address.
“One of the individuals involved in the crime lived in the area and knew the couple was in the process of moving. When they knew they (victims) weren’t going to be home, they broke in,” said Lloyd.
Lloyd said a number of pieces of personal property were still located inside the house at the time of the fire.
“If you went inside, you’d still think someone was living there,” he said.
Nelson and Hartman were arrested Thursday and were arraigned in Town of Afton Court. They were remanded to the Chenango county Correctional Facility on $50,000 cash bail and will appear back in Town of Afton Court for their felony hearings at a later date.
The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested Eric A. Nelson, 25, and Felix J. Hartman, 21, both of Afton, and charged them with second degree burglary and third degree arson, both class C felonies.
The home, valued at $240,000, “was destroyed just so the defendants could cover their tracks,” said Undersheriff Ernest R. Cutting Jr.
The Chenango County 911 system records a neighbor contacting the center to report the fire at 3:45 a.m. May 31.
According to police, Nelson and Hartman entered the home at 331 State Highway 41, in the Town of Afton, in the hours before the blaze to steal property.
“They stole basic things, appliances and food mostly. I know an air conditioner was taken and later recovered,” reported the undersheriff.
“They stole only a few hundred dollars worth of property in total,” said Sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Richard Cobb, explaining the stolen air conditioning unit accounted for much of the amount.
Investigators said the two men then set fire to the living room furniture before leaving.
The Afton, Conventry, Bainbridge and Harpursville Fire Departments responded to the blaze and discovered the residence totally engulfed in flames.
The occupants were not home the night of the fire but the residence and all remaining possessions were destroyed.
Firefighters battled to gain control of the blaze for over an hour and later that morning, investigators ruled the fire as suspicious.
Lt. James Lloyd reported the home belonged to a couple who was in the process of moving their items from the location to a newly purchased property in the Coventry area. On the night of the fire, the couple was residing at their new address.
“One of the individuals involved in the crime lived in the area and knew the couple was in the process of moving. When they knew they (victims) weren’t going to be home, they broke in,” said Lloyd.
Lloyd said a number of pieces of personal property were still located inside the house at the time of the fire.
“If you went inside, you’d still think someone was living there,” he said.
Nelson and Hartman were arrested Thursday and were arraigned in Town of Afton Court. They were remanded to the Chenango county Correctional Facility on $50,000 cash bail and will appear back in Town of Afton Court for their felony hearings at a later date.
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