NORWICH – The Norwich Police Department responded to an armed burglary in progress early Saturday morning after a woman called 911 as a man with a knife forced his way into her apartment.
Norwich Police Chief Joseph Angelino said the crime was a domestic violence incident, explaining that the victim and defendant knew each other.
“These two people were not strangers. At one point they were involved in a relationship,” said Angelino.
Officers rushed to the disturbance at a multi-family dwelling on Cortland Street at around 5:30 a.m. Saturday and arrested Jose A. Irizarry, 28, of Elm Street, Norwich.
“It was determined that Irizarry had forced his way into the locked apartment, and once inside, menaced the victim with a knife,” reported Angelino.
The police chief said Irizarry was armed with a folding pocket knife and forced his way through a locked door. After entering the 25-year-old woman’s residence, police claim Irizarry then physically assaulted her and began making threats with the weapon. Angelino said Irizarry held the victim against her will and took her phone away as she was communicating with 911operators.
When police arrived and entered the building, Irizarry was taken into custody without incident.
“The defendant was impaired by alcohol at the time,” said Angelino.
Irizarry was charged with first degree burglary, second degree assault and first degree unlawful imprisonment, all felonies. He was also charged with fourth degree criminal possession of a weapon, fourth degree criminal mischief, second degree menacing and second degree harassment, misdemeanors.
Irizarry was remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility in lieu of $20,000 cash bail by Norwich City Court Judge James Downey and is scheduled to return to court Thursday for a felony hearing.